Shuffle Project
by Hot Mess 12
Summary: Someone said that I should put my I-Pod on shuffle in order to come up with newspaper story ideas. Instead, I came up a series of one-shots.
1. Come Alive

**First story-Come Alive**

_Seems like only yesterday_

_Life belonged to runaways_

_Nothing here to see, no looking back_

Temari felt her heart drop as she looked out of the window. Konoha's weather showed nothing but rain this season. She couldn't believe that she would be stuck in this apartment for yet another day. The downpour was too hard to travel in, and seeing that she had no dry way of getting home, this was her only option. She wanted to run away, but she no longer had that option like when she was a little girl. She was technically an adult now, and running away was never an option. She was stuck in Nara's apartment with a lazy ass who had decided to fall asleep on the couch. There was no way in and no way out.

_Every sound monotone_

_Every color monochrome_

_Life began to fade into the black_

As she began to move onto the couch, the power went out. There was no sounds and no lights. There were only two completely different people that were, at the moment, unable to interact. Temari felt her way toward the couch until she reached it. She slowly sat down on it before she heard a grunt from Shikamaru. "Hey, do you mind? I was in the middle of a great dream!" He opened his eyes to nothing but darkness. He knew that Temari was not completely used to the weather here, so he grabbed onto her shoulder. She had incredibly soft skin for a bold and brazen woman. "The power went out. That's all, Temari. It'll be on soon."

She knew that, but still, living in the dark wasn't her favorite idea. She had figuratively lived in the dark through her childhood, and she didn't want to even imagine living in the dark literally. " I know!" However, she was not someone to admit that she had a slight fear of the dark.

_Such a simple animal_

_Sterilized with alcohol_

_I could hardly feel me anymore_

A flash spread across the room, lighting up both of their faces: his was calm and collected while hers was trying to hide her fear. The room quickly faded back into darkness. Then came the thunder. Temari felt numb. The sound was earsplitting. She unintentionally squished Shikamaru's arms. Her grasp on him was the only thing she could feel anymore. She could compare it to when she first saw snow. It made her fingers go numb, and her toes freeze up.

_Desperate meaningless_

_All filled up with emptiness_

_Felt like everything was said and done_

"Temari, it's just thunder and lightning. You don't have to be scared of it." Shikamaru didn't feel like having claw marks after the night was done. He figured that the best way to prevent that was to calm Temari down.

Temari loosened her grip on Shikamaru. "I'm not scared! I just don't like the dark. I don't particularly like the sounds in the dark either." She pouted in the only way she knew how: seriously. She thought the disagreement would end there. She wanted the last word in the matter.

_I lay there in the dark when I close my eye__s_

_You saved me the day you came alive_

Shikamaru smirked. He didn't feel like arguing with her. She would always find a way to win even if he was right. It was amazing how troublesome women were.

There was a another flash that lit up her face. Her face was nothing close to plain. It was beautiful.

A familiar pain surged through Shikamaru. Her nails were too long. He was tired of being treated like a cat post. Now that Temari had a grip on his arm, he knew this a precise moment to surprise her. He never, under other circumstances, would dare try it.

He used his other arm to push Temari down to his chest. She looked up at him angry. She hated losing her control even if she was willingly giving it up.

Shikamaru liked when she was angry. Her face was cuter when it normally was. With any other girl, the face looked terrible when they were angry. Temari, on the other hand, had a face that seemed to light up when she was angry. It made her look even prettier. Shikamaru couldn't explain it, and he really did want to. It was the puzzle he never wanted to solve. That's why he just had to go for it, even if it was out of his character.

"Temari, will you kiss me?"

_Still I tried to find my way_

_Spinning I was in the daze_

_Burning like a flame behind my eyes._

Temari looked up at him even though she couldn't see him. She would never expect that sentence to pour out of Shikamaru's mouth. She felt up Shikamaru's arm to his neck and then eventually to his face. She felt his cheek. It was too soft to be a man's face. But, then again, Shikamaru hadn't been like any other guy to her. He was special. He meant something. She felt a burning inside her. She felt the urge to kiss him. She leaned in close to his face and brushed his lips with her own.

Shikamaru was tired of waiting. He pushed his face up into her lips. They were soft and salty. Nothing like he had expected.

Temari was surprised at his move but quickly shoved him away. She slowly turned on her stomach to be on top of him. She smiled as a flash of lightning flashed between them again. Shikamaru had to admit that she had the prettiest smile. "You know, the first time I met you crybaby, I thought you would be a nobody."

The thunder rang in her ears again and she jumped. Shikamaru wrapped his arms around her, making it impossible to escape his grip. "You know when I first met you, I thought you would be trouble." He kissed her forehead. "I was right."

_Drown it out, drink it in_

_Crown the king of suffering_

_Prisoner to slave to the disguise_

She leaned up underneath his chin. She felt his heartbeat with her hand. It was beating rapidly. She smirked. No one could be as calm as they acted. Not even Shikamaru. They both laid there in the dark for several moments before another thunder boomed. Temari remained calm this time.

_Disappear the only thing_

_Bittersweet surrendering_

_Knew that it was time to say goodbye_

Suddenly, the rain subsided. The clouds were still murky, but the moon began to peek outside of the clouds. "So, when is the power supposed to come back on, genius?"

_I lay there in the dark when I close my eyes_

_You saved me the day you came alive_

_No reason left for me to survive_

_You saved me the day you came alive_

Temari dizzily closed her eyes and felt a warmth she had never felt before. She felt alive for once. Not trying to fight to live but to be alive.

_You laughing at me_

_I can finally breath_

_Come alive_

Shikamaru chuckled as Temari fell asleep. She breathed so calmly, so peacefully.


	2. Remembering Sunday

_He woke up from dreaming and put on his shoes_

_Starting making his way past two in the morning_

_He hasn't been sober for days _

Shikamaru didn't really know why he was having dreams about it. Asuma's death was just like any other noble ninja's death: on the battlefield against a stronger opponent. It hurt Shikamaru to sit up in his bed. The constant hangover would eventually have caught up with him. He knew this. He was a genius after all. He just didn't estimate it to catch up with him so quickly.

He looked over at the clock on his bedside table. It was blinking red lines and dots that made up the figure 2:00. Shikamaru looked beside the clock to see a half-empty beer bottle. He knew that enduring this much alcohol wasn't healthy. His father actually warned against it. But that feeling that things would get better was no longer near. Since Asuma's death, nothing felt permanent. Everyone was going to die. There was no way to prevent it so why even try. Even after avenging a person's death, you still would never see them again.

Shikamaru breathed in deeply and reached for his pack of cigarettes. He opened it to reveal that it was empty. He looked at it for thirty seconds stunned. He was as empty as his pack of cigarettes. He threw it against his wall as hard as he could. He sighed and rubbed his forehead intensely. If he can't smoke and can't drink, the only thing to calm him down was a peaceful walk. He knew that everyone was asleep, even Naruto. No one would bother him.

_Leaning now into the breeze_

_Remembering Sunday, he falls to his knees _

_They had breakfast together _

_But two eggs don't last_

_Like the feeling of what he needs _

He walked quietly out of his house, making sure not to wake anyone up. He didn't want to imagine the kinds of questions that his parents might ask. He placed his hands in his pockets as he exited through the back door. The breeze felt rejuvenating against his face that was full of sweat from his terrible nightmare. Reliving the past in a dream was hell.

He leaned into the breeze and briefly smiled as he leaned against the wall of his house. As much as he hated to admit it, she could make him smile like no one could. There was nothing like her wind. It actually had saved him once or twice in the midst of a battle.

He looked up at the sky as he sat down on a grassy patch closest to the wall. He remembered the last time she had been here and the last time she left. It was a Sunday. She always left early. That was a major pain, but Shikamaru dealt with it. There were worse things in life than waking up early to spend time with a beautiful woman.

He wouldn't admit it for a long time. He didn't have the guts too. He wasn't going to associate romantically with any troublesome women, so as a defense mechanism, he didn't date. He wanted someone plain, but as he grew up, he realized that he attracted trouble. Apparently, as much as he hoped it wasn't true, it was inherited.

He had asked her if she wanted to have breakfast before she left. Just like he did every time. And every time, she simply said that she'd find something on the way. But not this time. She asked if she could pay for it. She asked if** she **could pay for it. So they went to get breakfast together.

It was a light breakfast for both of them. She ordered a gravy biscuit with two pieces of sausage. He ordered toast with two eggs, over easy. They talked more than ate. They didn't know why, but in some weird way, they enjoyed each other's company. As the meal was ending, Shikamaru saw the tab on the side of the table. Normally, he would never have taken it. But, it felt wrong not to. No matter how troublesome she was, she was still a woman. Although he hated paying for anything, he was still taught chivalry. His dad said it would come in handy one day. That Sunday was the day. She brushed his hand as he swooped in like a hawk to grip the tab. He placed the money on the table to cover it.

She looked at him, smiled, and got up from her seat. "Very nice, crybaby." She laughed, and then he chuckled. He hated that his time with her was nearing its end. Though he would deny it, he knew the truth. He was a genius, but alas, he fell for the most troublesome woman he would ever meet in his entire life.

She smirked as she realized what time it was. She smiled and grabbed his wrist as they exited the small restaurant. "I have plenty of time. I want to show you something, and you can't say no."

Shikamaru smirked. "That would be too troublesome anyways."

_Now this place seems familiar to him _

_She pulled on his hand with a devilish grin _

_She led him upstairs, she led him upstairs_

_Left him dying to get in _

He sat there for awhile before he forced himself to get up and walk through the village more to get to the place where he enjoyed the most. If anyone were to ask him where his favorite place in the village was, he would tell them that he enjoyed the highest hill so that he was closer to the clouds. But, deep inside, he knew that was a lie. He liked the top hotel room that Temari stayed at every time she visited.

That Sunday, she claimed that she had left something in her hotel room. He evaluated this in his mind, and he knew that she was lying. But, he wasn't going to call her out. He was intrigued, even if that meant that he had to walk at a faster pace.

They reached the hotel, and she pulled him up the stairs while he was a step behind her. They didn't take the elevator because they never did. Temari said that if she'd take the elevator every time that she entered the hotel, she would get lazy and end up like him. He always revisited that moment every now and again for a good laugh. She was being so serious about it.

They finally stopped at the door of her hotel room. She let go of his wrist as she turned around against the door. She blushed, and Shikamaru was taken aback. He had never seen her do that before. He didn't think that it was even possible.

Temari was always brutally honest and brutal in general. That was her most attractive quality. Well, besides some of her physical qualities. She was also controlling. She got her way, no matter what it was.

Even so, as she grabbed his vest and pushed him closer to her face, Shikamaru didn't know how to react. So, he guessed. He assisted in her attempt to bring him closer. Their lips met with intensity. Suddenly, Temari opened the door and pushed herself away from Shikamaru's lips. She slammed the door in his face and locked it. "That's all you will get for awhile."

Her voice was taunting, but she knew that she had fallen for the smartest and laziest ninja she would ever meet in her entire life. She didn't have anything to get in her hotel room as Shikamaru, who she thought would never have any motivation to do anything, banged on her door.

She smirked as she opened it to see Shikamaru's stern face. "You are a very troublesome woman," He held a steady grip on the door as he forced himself into the room. "But you're messing with a genius here."

She smiled. To this day, he loved her genuine smile. "Actually, I already knew that."

_Forgive me,_

_I'm trying to find My calling, I'm calling at night_

_I don't mean to be a bother _

_But have you seen this girl? _

_She's been running through my dreams _

_And it's driving me crazy, it seems_

_I'm gonna ask her to marry me _

He kept walking down the empty streets. She had last visited after Asuma's death but before he had killed Hidan. She was generally nicer to him, and that drove him crazy. He was trying to find a way out of the mess that the world had put him in, and she wasn't helping him out much. And, yet, he knew she was.

She would nag, but it felt like she cared. Like she cared specifically about him and not his emotions. When she would throw insults, they somehow were filled with love. His were filled with love back.

He knew they would never be a "lovey-dovey" couple, but that was okay because they didn't need to be. They needed someone to put each other in their place, and someone who would make it impossible to get overly-cocky about anything.

Shikamaru heard a rustle that came from a bush outside of the flower shop. "You can come out now, Naruto."

Naruto jumped out of the bush and trotted toward Shikamaru. "Oh, man! I was gonna scare you. You're too smart!"

Shikamaru really didn't want to see Naruto. It was too early to hear his voice. But, what else was he going to do? He couldn't sleep or watch the clouds. "I get that a lot, Naruto."

Naruto showed his pearly whites as he nudged his elbow into Shikamaru's side. "Enough of that already. You're never gonna guess who happened to show up last night to the village."

Shikamaru sighed. "Naruto, I'm really not in the mood for gossip right now."

Naruto just looked at him puzzled. "Well, never mind then. Just thought you'd like to know that your girlfriend was here."

Shikamaru shot a look at Naruto. "I don't have a girlfriend. But I'm guessing that you are talking about Temari right. Go figure she's be here early. Too troublesome." Shikamaru couldn't help but grin a little at the mention of her name. He hated that about her. She entered and left his life as she pleased, and yet, she never truly left. She controlled him from afar.

Naruto took note of the grin quickly. "You know, it's stupid to just walk around the village at night." He paused to look at the stars. "Especially when someone you love and rarely see is here early."

Shikamaru had to admit that sometimes Naruto was halfway intelligent. Only sometimes though. "I don't love her, Naruto. I care about her. There's a major difference."

Naruto laughed and pointed at Shikamaru. "Either way, she asked about you at the gates."

Naruto left Shikamaru on that note and walked off.

Shikamaru looked up at the stars as he placed his hands back into his pockets. They all twinkled brightly. Shikamaru searched through his memories to his childhood. His mother sat outside with his father and him as they gazed at the stars. She said that if the stars twinkled down at you, whatever you felt at that moment was the truth. She explained to him that he wouldn't even have been here if it weren't for the stars twinkling the night she asked his father out on a date.

Shikamaru sighed. He knew where she'd be at, and that he couldn't buy any flowers or even a ring, but he was smart. He'd find a way to get her approval. To get her to say yes.

He didn't know why he was going to ask her to be his wife. He could blame it on the fact that she was worth the trouble. Or blame it on the fact that the stars twinkled. Or he could blame it on Naruto. But he didn't want to blame anyone because he was walking to the hotel. He was taking the stairs. He was the one who loved her.

_And even though she doesn't believe in love_

_He's determined to call her bluff _

_Who could deny these butterflies?_

_They're filling his gut _

They had a conversation about love one time. She had told him that love didn't exist. She explained that you cared about people that you wanted to love, but seeing that love didn't exist, there was no full-proof way of making sure that you always cared about them. That response sent butterflies up and over the inside of his stomach.

He knew that she had to believe in love, and that she only said that to put up a front. She never really told her feelings to anyone. Except for him, which was absolute trouble. It, at first, annoyed him. Though, soon afterwards, he started telling her his thoughts as well. It was a bond made solely of trust. No word of their conversations was said to anyone else.

He was now determined to change her mind about love because love was the emotion that was changing his rational thinking. There was no other thing to motivate him like this.

_Waking the neighbors _

_Unfamiliar faces _

_He pleads though he tries _

_But he's only denied _

_Now he's dying to get inside _

Shikamaru walked up to the front desk of the hotel. Usually, the same two people sat there, gladly allowing him up to her suite. However, he couldn't recognize the two people sitting behind the desk in front of him. They were halfway asleep as he asked if Temari had checked into her room yet.

They looked at him with pure disgust. They simply replied yes. But she was not in the hotel at the moment. Then they looked down at a clipboard with what Shikamaru could see was list of guests at the hotel. He sighed and asked where she was, knowing that he wasn't going to get an intelligent reply. In his lifetime, he almost never did.

He was right. They replied with "not here". They snickered as he walked out of the hotel disheartened. The stars had led him astray. That was the reason he was going to stick with the clouds.

_Forgive me, __I'm trying to find _

_My calling, I'm calling at nigh__t_

_I don't mean to be a bother _

_But have you seen this girl?_

_She's been running through my dreams _

_And it's driving me crazy, it seems_

_I'm gonna ask her to marry me _

By the time Shikamaru walked out of the hotel, the sun was poking its head out from the horizon. The sky was colored brightly, but Shikamaru was solemn. He would ask where she was inside his head for the rest of his life. He just knew it.

He could ask the villagers, but that would cause more problems than it was worth. Plus, Shikamaru didn't want to bother anyone with his problems. That would cause even more trouble.

Shikamaru looked up at the clouds for a few minutes as the sun's rays caused them to change colors. Shikamaru knew what would be coming after the sun completely rose: the rain. Those clouds were dark grey now, but soon, they would become completely black.

_The neighbors said she moved away _

_Funny how it rained all day _

_I didn't think much of it then _

_But it's starting to all make sense _

The attendants at the front desk didn't help him at all, and he couldn't think of anywhere she could be. And the rain started to pour right on cue. Shikamaru let it pour on him. He didn't think it would have been necessary to bring an umbrella with him at two in the morning. Now, this day was starting to be troublesome. He was starting to piece it together: today was not his day.

_Oh, I can see now that all of these clouds_

_Are following me in my desperate endeavor_

_To find my whoever, whoever she may be _

However, he wasn't heading home. He figured that he would stumble into her eventually. They, at least, always seemed to meet up with each other that way. The clouds followed him along his way. Though, he truly didn't know where his way was going. It was simply going to lead to her.

_I'm not coming back (forgive me)_

_I've done something so terrible_

_I'm terrified to speak (I'm not calling, I'm not calling)_

_But you'd expect that from me_

_I'm mixed up, I'll be blunt _

_Now the rain is just (You're driving me crazy, I'm) _

_Washing you out of my hair _

Temari got to the village early on purpose. She wanted to surprise him. She always wanted to get the upper hand with him, but it seemed he always had it (even when she would throw a surprise at him). She had made her way to the check in table, and had headed to the hotel as quickly as she could.

She knew that what she was about to do was terrible, and that he might not ever be able to speak to her truthfully again. She, however, was a risk taker. A smart risk taker at that. She just hoped that he wouldn't expect this from her because she hated how smart he was.

As much as she was trying to stay calm as she walked the streets of Konoha in the early morning, her emotions were throwing her insides around like a play toy. She wanted him to not know what was coming next. She wanted him to be excited for once. To show that he was excited for once.

She was blunt. That was the way she always had been. But as the sun rose and the rain fell, she didn't pull her fan over her to prevent getting wet. She let it pour on her head. She tried to get him out of her head.

_And out of my mind _

_Keeping an eye on the world _

_From so many thousands of feet off the ground_

_I'm over you now_

_I'm at home in the clouds _

_And towering over your head _

But it was no use. She knew where she was headed. His house wasn't far from her hotel. She had never been formally introduced to his parents, so today was going to be the day. It was not, on the other hand, going to be her day.

She had never even liked a guy until Shikamaru came along, and she hated him a little bit for that. She wanted to be over this feeling. This stupid feeling of longing was dragging her down. But she somehow knew she never would get over it. She sighed as the rain pounded harder against her head. She saw his house and the Nara property. Shikamaru had told her that it was peaceful, but even in the pouring rain, it still held true.

Her nerves hit in as she walked up to the Nara household. She could smell the sizzling bacon, and it made her more nauseas. Meeting his parents had been on her "to do" list for a long time, but she imagined him being beside her when she did.

She brought herself to the front steps. She could hear arguing from behind the door. She smiled. Shikamaru had mentioned his parent's unique relationship. They needed each other because no one else would take them. She lost her smile as she realized that it was a repeating pattern for her and Shikamaru as well.

She was completely soaked as she knocked on the front door three times. She knew the drill. One time would go ignored. Two times would sound weak. But three knocks on the door meant someone was there, dying to get inside.

She sighed as Yoshino opened the door. She kept her composture as she shivered from being wet for so long. "Hello. My name is Temari. I'm looking for Shikamaru."

Yoshino stopped yelling at her husband as she saw the girl. No one ever came looking for Shikamaru. No one was ever interested in him. Shikamaru had mentioned Temari's name once or twice, but these days he didn't really talk to anybody about anything. He was eighteen and still living in her home.

"Come in inside. You are drenched." She practically shoved Temari inside and sat her at the table. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her shoulders. "I'm sure I can find something for you to wear. I think there are still some of Shikamaru's clothes that he's grown out of somewhere around here."

As she passed the couch, she leaned down and hit Shikaku. "Wake up, lazyass!" Shikaku grunted and sat up on the couch. He looked forward to see Temari. He remembered seeing her outside of the hospital room with Shikamaru long ago, but after that, he never had seen her. She had grown up just as much as Shikamaru had. That was a scary thought, though, as he found the energy to travel to the kitchen table and sit across from Temari. "I have a question for you, Temari. If you don't mind one or two." Shikaku smiled softly at her. He had heard nothing but good things about her from the villagers. Though, he knew that she was exactly like Yoshino. She was bossy. Shikamaru complained about that all the time.

Temari pushed the towel down and around her tightly. "I don't mind a question or two. I am, after all, here. I figured some would come up sooner or later."

Shikaku was in momentary awe. She didn't seem comfortable, but she was being polite. No wonder she had been chosen as Suna's ambassador. "Ok then. Why are you here? It's raining heavily outside, and Shikamaru isn't even here."

She lowered her head. She thought for sure that he would be here by now. "Umm…to tell you the truth. I'm not sure."

Shikaku chuckled. "You know, I said the same thing when I said yes to Yoshino. She asked me on a date, and I said yes. I still don't know why I did it." He paused to make sure that Yoshino was out of hearing range. "But I'm glad that I did."

Yoshino rushed out with a t-shirt that had the Nara symbol on its arm and training pants. "This should fit decently. You can change in the bathroom. I can dry your clothes afterwards." She smiled warningly towards Temari. Temari took hold of the clothes and thanked Yoshino as she walked into the bathroom.

Yoshino glared at Shikaku. Shikaku sighed, "What is it this time?"

Her glare intensified. "An interrogation? Really, Shikaku! She is a guest that came to see Shikamaru! When do we get those? Outside of Ino and Choji, no one comes to see him. Are you determined to run her off?"

Shikaku took hold off Yoshino's arm and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her as he did so. She fought him away from her, but he didn't allow it. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I asked one question, troublesome woman. And, anyways, she was excepting that. She is smart, Yoshino. She won't take shit. I can't run her off. She reminds me of someone." She smiled as he let her go.

Her attention returned to the kitchen, and Shikaku made his way to the couch. Yoshino turned in his direction. "He needs her. That's for sure."

Temari emerged shortly after. She had hung her clothes over the shower's rails. They would dry easily that way. She looked down at what she was wearing. It was comfortable. She smirked. No wonder the men were always lazy. Yoshino looked back at Temari and smiled warmingly once again. "I'm sure he'll be home soon. You can join us for breakfast."

She nodded as she sat in the chair across from the couch that Shikaku now sat on. She looked at the coffee table in front of her. There was a shoji board on it. "Do you know how to play, Temari?"

She shook her head. She always wanted to know how to play, so she could play Shikamaru in it. "Actually, I don't. I have no idea how to play, really."

"Would you like some lessons before he gets here?" Shikaku was just as good at shoji as Shikamaru was. He knew the rules and all possible moves like the back of his hand.

Temari's face lit up. She felt the spark of competition come alive. "If you are willing to teach, I learn quickly."

Shikaku placed all the pieces in their original places. "I believe it." They both laughed as he explained the rules.

_Well I guess I'll go home now_

_I guess I'll go home now _

_I guess I'll go home now_

_I guess I'll go home _

Shikamaru hung his head as he approached his house. The smell of food didn't help his nausea much more than not finding her. It somehow worried him. She was strong enough to take care of herself, but if anything happened, he'd die on the inside. He wasn't willing to let her trouble go. He opened the door to find his mother cooking. She turned to him, "Well, you are just in time to join us."

Shikamaru stood stunned for a few moments. She always nagged him. It was just their routine. She had the same routine with his dad.

"Yeah, crybaby, you're late."

He turned his head slowly. He knew that voice. He saw her in **his **clothes, in **his **chair, in **his** living room, in **his **house. He smiled as he saw her leaned over the board with his father teaching her shoji. "Troublesome."

He sat beside his father as he saw her absorbing the rules and moves like a sponge. She was bright and quick. That saved him a lot of times too. Shikaku finished and sat back on the couch. "Why don't you play against her, Shikamaru?"

Temari and Shikamaru looked at each other and smirked. "Fine. I'm not going to go easy though."

"I wouldn't imagine it. That would make this pointless and a drag." She mocked him as they set up the board. "Let's bet on this." Temari looked at Shikamaru with fierce competitiveness.

He looked back with laziness. "As long as I decided what the bet is."

Temari smiled. "Fine. What bet did you have in mind?"

"Whoever wins gets to ask the other one a question. They have to answer and answer truthfully. No holding back."

"Sounds good to me." Temari made the first move, and Shikamaru followed suit.

Shikaku sat there beside his son. That was an elaborate bet for Shikamaru to come up without a reason. Shikamaru didn't bet. He found it troublesome and an awful habit. Shikamaru had something planned. He was going to win this game if he had to cheat on it.

And Shikaku was right.

Temari was angry at herself for not seeing it. It was so obvious. "Okay, Nara, what is your question already?" She was growing impatient, and she was leaning on a short fuse. She hated losing.

Shikamaru smiled. He knew that she would never see this coming, and that he could actually surprise her. He looked her directly in her eyes. "You are troublesome. The most troublesome person I've ever met."

Temari interjected. "You said a question not an insult festival!"

Shikamaru sighed. "Just let me finish." He regained her attention. "But, somehow, I love you."

Her eyes became weak. He could tell her heartbeat had increased tremendously. She had become fidgety.

"So, will you marry me?" The entire household went quiet. The sizzling sound of the food cooking was the only noise that could be heard. Yoshino had leaned against the counter to catch a glimpse of the scene in the living room. Shikaku sat silently next to his son. Temari's glare had faded. Shikamaru waited for her answer.

He reached into his pocket. He fished out the small black box and placed it on the table. He didn't open it. That was supposed to be her job.

She slowly moved toward it and placed it into her hand. She quickly opened the box like she would rip a bandage off of her skin. It was small, but it shined like a star. She smiled as the diamond twinkled at her. She slipped it onto her finger. She normally would have turned anyone down, but she loved surprises. And she loved him. His lazy genius self.

Yoshino slipped, and her pot fell to the floor. She began to laugh and then everyone somehow did as well.

Temari and Shikamaru caught each other's gaze. Their eyes twinkled like stars. Hers were blue while his were hazel.

Shikamaru walked into the kitchen to help his mother. He picked up the pot and hugged Yoshino. "Thank you."

Yoshino was shocked but hugged her son back. This sort of thing rarely ever happened. "Well, why are you thanking me?"

Shikamaru let her go and turned into the living room to see the ruthless ninja sitting in his living room looking at her new accessory. "If it weren't for you, she would have said no."


	3. Prelude 1221

_Hey there readers. Thanks for getting this far into it. I know that some of the chapters are alittle long, but it goes with the lyrics. I would love to know your opinion on these songfics. And, if you have any requests for one, let me know. :) Enjoy and I hope I get your review.__ This song is Prelude 12/21 by AFI.

* * *

__This is what I brought you this you can keep,_

_This is what I brought you may forget me._

Shikamaru and Temari looked down into the crib. Their baby girl was fast asleep after hours of constant screaming. She got that from her mother.

Temari looked exhausted, barely staying on her feet long enough to make sure that her daughter was actually asleep. As she looked over, Shikamaru could see the bags underneath her eyes. This was a new sight for him. She could stay awake for three days on a S-ranked mission without even looking fatigued, but a child could stress her out more than anything. But she wanted her in the first place, so she couldn't complain. And Shikamaru complied with her wish. His baby girl was the biggest present he could ever bring to his wife, and they both knew it.

Shikamaru put his hand on her shoulder. As he did so, she turned to see him motion toward the door. She shook her head. She whispered, which was another thing Shikamaru didn't believe she was capable of doing. He smirked, realizing that she was always going to be full of surprises. "Crybaby, I'm staying." Although she was whispering, a hiss was made at him. He lost his smirk.

He had to always be the logical one in the relationship. "You need rest. She'll need you in the morning."

The room fell silent before Temari leaned down and kissed her daughter on the forehead. She grudgingly strutted out of the baby's room. She looked back at her before Shikamaru closed the door. As he did, he sighed. He simply opened it a crack. "If there is any noise, one of us will hear it. We're shinobi, Temari."

_I promised to depart just promise one thing,_

_Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

They departed to their bed, taking their usual sides: Temari on the left and Shikamaru on the right. She naturally had chosen the sides. She always did. Shikamaru found it too much trouble to agrue with her about something as little as the side of the bed they would sleep on. Shikamaru layed on his back and looked at the ceiling while Temari was turned on her side facing away from him.

He smirked. He didn't like separate sides of the bed. He preferred the middle of the bed. He outstretched his arm and nuzzled it under Temari's head. He quickly pushed her toward him. She was drowsy and didn't make any attempt to get free of him. His body was warmer than the blanket anyways. She simply grinned and cuddled up to him. Another thing that Shikamaru didn't think was possible until their marriage.

"Shikamaru…" She had managed to speak up in his arms. Her voice sounded shaky and soft, much unlike herself. Something was wrong.

Shikamaru responded calmly and smoothly in an attempt to calm her down. That was troublesome for him, but the opposite reaction could bring even more trouble for him in the long run. "What is it?"

"Do you think she is pretty?" Temari glanced up at his eyes. She knew when he was lying by looking into his eyes. He hated that she had such annoying talent. "She takes after her mother."

She smiled and fell asleep. He kissed her forehead as he dozed off shortly after.

_This is what I brought you this you can keep,_

_This is what I brought you may forget me._

_I promise you my heart just promise to sing,_

_Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

Shikamaru woke up to whimpering. His wife was asleep so he yawned and lightly pushed her off of him. He traveled to the baby's bedroom. As he looked into the crib, his daugther had sat herself up against the wall of the crib. She was an intelligent little thing. She got that from her father.

She paused her whimpering to look at Shikamaru. She showed a little smile and moved her hands up to him. Shikamaru picked her up and held her in his arms.

He had always wondered why his mother had a hard time letting him grow up, but now he knew exactly why. Holding a child of your own in the middle of the night makes you long to make them stay that way. You will constantly hope that they will always need you.

She looked at him with a glowing smile. She inherited that from both of her parents. Her eyes glistened in the moonlight as tears filled the ducts of them.

He had watched Temari sing lullibies to her night after night to get her to close her eyes. He, on the other hand, was a terrible singer. As he attempted to sing, she began to giggle. If it were anyone else, he would have stopped or gotten upset, but her giggle brought a warm smile to his face. In those moments, he fell in love again.

She finally got tired of hearing his pathetic attempt and started to drift away again. She fell silent after about a half hour. He estimated it to be that long at least.

He slowly and gently placed her back in her crib and kissed her forehead. "Sleep well, little one."

_Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

As he crawled back into bed on his respective side, Temari rolled over beside him, and kissed him on the cheek. "She loves you, lazyass."

_This is what I thought,_

_I thought you need me,_

_This is what I thought so think me naive,_

_I promise you a heart you promised to keep,_

_Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

She had grown up quickly. It was her first day at the academy. Her grandparents had made sure to spoil her with all of the ninja essentials she would ever need. Shikamaru sometimes believed that they loved her more than they ever loved him. As she walked out the door, she looked back at her father and raced back to get a grip on his legs. She squeezed tightly and showed her radiant smile. "Remember not to use the technique unless you need to, kiddo."

She nodded as she quickly ran out the door and met up with her friends on her way to adulthood. She would easily pass the exams and then after pass the chunnin exams. She was a brilliant child. She did, after all, have extremely intelligent people as her parents.

Temari came up behind Shikamaru and hugged him around the waist. "She's a fighter."

Shikamaru turned to gaze at his parents that were now spoiling his son with love. He smirked. His son would need him for awhile.

_Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep._

She had moved out of the house to her own apartment. She was a Jounin and the villager's strategist. Following her family's footsteps. She was motivated and driven. He had helped move her things in while her grandparents furnished the place. They definitely loved her more than they loved him.

She organized everything in its right place. Just like her mother did when she moved into their place. She glanced at Shikamaru and showed her dazzling smile that she wore constantly. She set down all of her boxes and walked toward Shikamaru. "Thanks dad." She hugged him tightly. "For everything." Shikamaru hugged back knowing that she would always need him.

_Kiss my eyes and lay me to sleep_

Shikamaru's son was headed into the chunnin exams as prepared as he could possibly be. Temari sat with her brothers and Shikamaru sat with his parents, Ino, and Choji. All of them made up a row of seats. It was one huge family that was proud of the scrawny kid on the battlefield. A spitting image of his father.

Shikamaru saw the competitor. She was nothing but troublesome.

He looked over at his wife and smiled. She simply kissed him on the cheek and went back to her conversation with Gaara about how she taught her son how to use the fan techniques.

He turned his attention back to the battle. She was a pretty little thing. She looked like she had a temper and a deadly wrath at that.

He smirked. The curse continued.


	4. Angel

_I've got an angel_

_She doesn't wear any wings_

Temari snuck into the small apartment. She would have switched on the lights, but the lazy shinobi who owned the messy, plain place was sleeping. She placed her things on the counter and made her way to his couch. As she looked down at it, she was careful not to fall too deeply into it.

Shikamaru stood in the doorway of his room looking at Temari. It was weird how beautifully the moon shined on her facial features. She was sweating for the humidity outside. She was frowning as she laid her blanket on top of the couch cushions. He hated to admit it because it shouldn't be true. She looked heavenly.

_She wears a heart that can melt my own_

_She wears a smile that can make you wanna sing_

Shikamaru could remember back to the first time they had met after Naruto had returned to the villlage. She was the ambassador for Suna, and she had changed her attire completely. It was actually conventional. Now, a year later, she was uncomfortably trying to sleep on his couch. He let out a sigh, which attracted her attention. "I didn't mean to wake you up, crybaby."

Though, she would never admit her feelings, he knew that she meant that and wasn't joking. That was the way she communicated. Her heart was buried deep inside her shell, but she let it hit the surface sometimes. It was beautiful when she did.

He smiled at her. "Sleep in the bed tonight." She looked shocked and briefly became flustered. He shook his head. "I'll sleep on the couch."

She leaped to her feet and grabbed her blanket. She raced past him and hopped into the bed. She smiled happily towards him. "You can't change your mind now."

"That would be too troublesome woman."

_She gives me presents, with her presence alone_

_She gives me everything I could wish for_

_ She gives me kisses on the lips just for coming home_

Shikamaru trotted into the living room as Temari watched him leave. She crept under the covers. She tossed and turned for about an hour before she sat up in bed and placed her feet on the floor. She didn't know why she felt so bad about being in his bed without him. He had offered, but she crept into the living room where Shikamaru sat on the couch. "I'm guessing that you can't sleep either, lazyass."

He turned his head to acknowledge her question. He motioned for her to sit beside him. She did as he pleased and sat beside him. "What's wrong?" She knew he was acting weird. She simply knew him.

He solemnly started talking. His voice was course and rough. "I killed Hidan for revenge, not to avenge Asuma."

Shikamaru looked down at his hands, as he moved his thumbs in a circular motion around each other. That was the habit he had when he was nervous. No one outside of her knew that though. "Temari, shinobi are supposed to be noble in how they kill and…"

Temari threw her hand up to his mouth to shut him up. With her free hand, she separated his thumbs for each other. She realized that she had to be the genius now.

"Noble shinobi are also human. They will mess up and slip up. Even if that simply means they slip up in their true intentions." She kissed him on the cheek sweetly.

It had also killed her inside to kiss someone. It was either forced upon her or that person was a relative. Either way, she hated it. Shikamaru, however, brought her brighter side out. She found hope through him, and in all the years she had been associated with him, he had never caught on. A kiss was a fool-proof way of getting her message across.

"You are a genius, but you will mess up. You are a great shinobi, Shikamaru." She stood up and started to walk into his bedroom before she suddenly couldn't walk. She couldn't move. Her pleasant demeanor quickly dissolves.

Shikamaru held her in his shadow jutsu. "Temari," He moved in closer to her, soon being inches behind her. He kissed her neck. "I just had to return the favor." He backed away out of her range of fire before he released.

Temari rubbed the back of her neck before she glared at him. She wanted to hit him, but she wanted to do something else with him more. "Shikamaru, you can't sleep on the couch. I won't let you." She was bossy, and she knew it. But she got her way, and she knew that too. Shikamaru looked at her and smiled meekly. He passed her, and she closed the door behind him.

_She can make angels_

_I've seen it with my own eyes_

_You've gotta be careful when you've got good love_

_Cuz those angels will just keep on multiplying_

They couldn't pinpoint when the conception date was, but they liked to imagine that it was that night. Shikamaru peered behind the glass windows that separated him from his daughter. He knew that she took after her mother. She was stunning even as a newborn. It scared him because she had his dark hair already. He could see it coming in.

As a genius, he already estimated her height and weight before she was born, but her eye color stunned him. They were blue, the kind of blue you could easily get lost in.

He smiled as Choji stood beside him. He held a bag of chips in his hand, but he wasn't eating. "Shikamaru, that can't be yours."

Shikamaru turned defensively toward his best friend. He never would do that under other circumstances, but this was his baby girl. "And why not?"

Choji laughed. "Because she's too beautiful."

_But you're so busy changing the world_

_Just one smile and you can change all of mine_

After her birth, Temari ran nonstop. To Shikamaru, she appeared to be almost robotic. She wanted to change the world around her rapidly. The house was cleaner. The baby somehow was happier. Shikamaru was sleepier.

He realized that Temari had a natural motherly instinct. She had practically raised both of her brothers. And for what she had to work with, she did a fantastic job. One had ended up as the Kazekage after all.

As the days rushed by, Shikamaru missed her old ways. She barely nagged him or threw a insult. He imagined that she was too tired to come up with anything.

One day, Shikamaru got up early. It was a pain, but he forced himself to anyway. The house was quiet, and the sun barely peeked over the horizon.

He cleaned the household chores that Temari did on a day-to-day basis. He had finished as Temari headed down the stairs. She saw Shikamaru sitting on the couch and smiled.

Shikamaru caught a glimpse of it. He missed that smile of hers.

"Lazyass, I'm impressed." She leaned over him and quickly kissed him on the forehead before heading to the kitchen.

_We share the same sou__l_

_We share the same soul_

_We share the same soul_


	5. Pursuit of Happiness Part 1

__

Hey readers. :) I hope that you like this project so far. I'd love to get your reviews/suggestions. Anyways, this song is "Pursuit of Happiness" by Kid Cudi. It is so long and meaningful so I split it up into two parts with two completely different storylines. I hope you enjoy both of them.- Hot Mess 12

_

* * *

__Crush a bit, little bit, roll it up, take a hit_

_Feeling lit, feeling light, 2 am summer night._

She looked down at what was passed into her hands and reached into her pocket for her last match. Temari struck the match against the log she was sitting on and lit the joint up. She never imagined that she would be in this situation: too depressed to even care about what was going into her system.

Something inside of her always made her wonder why everyone smoked joints. What was the big deal about them anyways? As she exhaled heavily, she realized why it was a big deal. It released the stress and the emotions. It stopped the pain and the confusion. It was a reason to smile again even if it was only going to last a few hours tops.

She sat around a small fire as it lit up her face in the dark. She gazed at the people around her, realizing that she didn't know a single face in the small cluster of people. These were the social outcasts in society, and she knew she'd fit right in for the night.

_I don't care, hand on the wheel, driving drunk, I'm doing my thing_

_Rolling the Midwest side and out living my life, getting out dreams_

Shikamaru sat slouched on the bar stool. He waved to the bartender for another beer. She looked at him concerned as she slid it towards him. That was his seventh beer in less than a couple of hours.

He paid no attention to her. Ino would understand why he was doing this. He had been under control for so long that he was no longer living his life. Any genius could see that this was absolutely impossible to keep up, but he would rather drink himself to death than go back to his apartment and stay alone yet again.

As he walked outside of the bar, he stumbled into the closest chair to his wandering body. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the building. He thought about his current dilemma. He was a genius, but he couldn't figure out why his life was going into a downward spiral. He felt so alone.

It was not that he was actually alone, but it was the fact that the people around him just didn't get it. So many people relied on him for everything. His childhood friends had started dating, leaving him to fend for himself. They were all close, but the ties between Ino and Choji now were a little bit closer.

Now, it wasn't that Shikamaru couldn't get a girl. But the problem was that was he wouldn't be attached to her. She would just be another burden to him. One more complication to an already completed life.

He stood up as he headed to the gates of Konoha which was a short walk west of where he was located now. He held his liquor well, and he thanked God for inheriting that gene from his parents.

He approached the gates casually, shoving his hands in his pockets. He walked past the gates' invisible boundaries. There was a sense of adventure and excitement to leaving unexpectedly. It was unplanned and carefree unlike everything Shikamaru was accustomed to.

Shikamaru didn't think of precautions or consequences as he nonchalantly trotted into the forest, not knowing where he was headed, but somehow he knew that he would run into something tonight.

_People told me slow my roll, I'm screaming out fuck that_

_Imma do just what I want looking ahead no turning back._

Temari inhaled as much as she could from the joint, and she quickly asked for more. She had been in control all of her life for so long that she wanted to let go. She wanted to forget the responsibilities and the countless disappointments she faced on a daily basis. She pleaded the group for more. They all laughed as they were higher than she thought they would be. She still had control of much of herself while these experienced potheads were already loony? Life wasn't fair to her at all**. At all.**

Some girl with a terribly destroyed smile and disrespectful assortment of clothing (or lack there of) rolled her own joint in front of Temari and flaunted the fact that she had grinded on the leader of the group to get an extra share of the supply. She breathed the smoke into Temari's face.

Normally, Temari would have exploded, but she didn't care enough to tonight. She caught a grip on her fan and stood up, looking around the forest. She headed away from the group, but a huge man in tattered clothes stepped into her way. "Exactly where do you think you're headed, missie? You have to pay up for the happiness."

She sighed deeply. She figured that it wasn't going to come at her for free, so she reached into her pocket to reveal a little of the amount of money she had stashed away in her pockets that afternoon when she decided that she was leaving the village for a couple days. Gaara knew, and she knew he knew. She was an intelligent woman but was too stubborn to listen to anyone when her mind was set.

As she pulled out the money, the man just laughed. "In this group, we don't care for any money for compensation. It's along the lines of what "services" you offer." He cheekily grabbed her arm forcefully and carried them to a log nearby the group. She hated how bizarre the joint's powers were on her. They seemed so slick and carefree, but this is going too far. She became easily enraged, and in a fit of anger, she slapped the man on the face, threw money in his face, and raced into the darkness of the night. "Fuck you all!"

They all were too high to care. Temari raced forward, not looking back. She wiped away scarce tears that welled up in her eyes.

Shikamaru kept walking as the breeze picked up. It was an usual and disturbing wind to Shikamaru, and he knew exactly why. It was because it was created by someone. Someone that he was fond of and that was too troublesome. Yet, she showed up at all the right times in his life. He smirked as yet again, Temari was right on cue.

He kept walking when suddenly he was hit hard. As he fell to the ground, he felt something solid on top of him. It was Temari, and as a genius, he knew that she was upset. Great, they both were unhappy.

_if I fall, if I die _

_I know I lived it till the fullest_

Temari just pushed herself up to see the younger ninja. They were both shocked to see each other tonight. Temari lightly blushed as she realized that Shikamaru was the one underneath her. She stood up quickly and dusted herself off as if there was some dirt on her outfit.

Shikamaru knew better. There was no dirt on her clothes. She had landed on him to where **he **was the one covered in dirt. He could also tell that she had been crying. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot, and her face shined like his mother's did when she had finished crying. He noticed it because he knew that only women's faces were like that. He smirked. She had grown into some beautifully troublesome woman.

Temari looked down at him. "Well? Aren't you going to apologize, crybaby?" It was her fault that they bumped each other, but she was not about to admit if she didn't have to. She smiled at him as the moonlight hit her face.

Shikamaru sighed. Somehow, her smile reflected perfectly tonight. He might not have such a bad night after all.

Now, normally, he would have given her a huge and elaborate explanation as to why it was her fault that she landed on top of him in the middle of the night, but that would take too much energy. And he knew she knew it too. She was smarter than most people gave her credit for.

Shikamaru spent a lot of time with her and had gotten to know her by heart. Her pet peeves and her favorites, her strengths and weaknesses, her dreams and her nightmares. Shikamaru knew them all. "Sorry, troublesome."

His smirk had grown into a smile that Temari noticed. And her heart sank. And the worst part of it was that she knew why.

_I fall, if I die know_

_I lived and missed some bullets_

Shikamaru sat up slowly. The alcohol was soon going to set into his system, and he knew that that was not good with Temari around. It wasn't that he felt like he had to hold his tongue around her. It was the fact that she didn't hold hers. As he actually dusted his clothes off while in a sitting position, he looked up at her again to see a completely different person than the one he knew everything about. This Temari was more depressed and scared. Something had happened to her. And he cursed internally at himself for caring. She just added to the list of complications in his life.

And yet, he took another carefree chance and hoped he would miss a bullet if he wasn't supposed to ask it. "Temari, what happened?"

Temari looked over at him after zoning out. She sighed as she tried to keep control over her emotions, but the joint was getting to her. It wasn't that she felt she had to hold her tongue around him; it was the fact that he expected her not to. Tonight was not going to end well.

Temari's eyes watered as Shikamaru was standing up and putting his hands over the back of his head. She had wanted to lose control all night, but she never wanted to lose control around him. She tried to keep smiling as a tear slid down her cheek. "Life happened, Shikamaru."

He hated it when she cried. Well, he had never seen her cry until a night that had beautiful summer weather and perfect scenery. How ironic life was. He headed toward her not really sure how to react to this other-worldly event. He realized then that he never had to dodge a bullet this time around. She wanted him to ask that question. And that added another strength to his list: manipulation skills.

_I'm on _t_he pursuit of happiness and I know everything that shine ain't always gonna be gold._

They stood inches away from each other, scared to react. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. Temari was the most complicated person he'd ever met. "Temari, where are you staying tonight?" He wasn't sure why he asked her that. He wasn't actually sure why he was so attracted to her tonight either. He simply blamed it on the alcohol.

Temari shook her head. In preparing to leave the village, that was a detail she forgot about. She covered her mouth as she yawned. She looked dozily into Shikamaru, not exactly sure why she was attracted so much to him tonight. She blamed it on the joint. "Well, Nara," Temari paused her sentence to wipe some dirt off of his cheek. "I believe that I'll be staying at your place tonight."

Shikamaru smirked once again at her. He knew why she was acting so strangely. She had smoked at a joint, which, depending upon what group she had gotten herself mixed in with, could be the reason why she cried before she had bumped into him.

He looked at her with his "I know" look and turned in the direction of the village. He motioned Temari to follow him. They were close to the village. It would only be a ten minute walk if Temari could handle her intake as well as she was at the moment. There was something else he could add to the list: ability to stay in control.

Temari didn't know why as Shikamaru walked ahead of her in his lazy nature he seemed to shine a little in the moonlight. He was definitely not gold but he'd do just fine.

_I'll be fine once I get it, I'll be good._

She hurried to be side by side with him as they continued on toward Konoha. As she approached him, Shikamaru did one of the most daring and unplanned things he had ever done in his life. He whispered in Temari's ear. "You know, you are the only person that can truly make me smile."

Temari didn't miss a beat. Though, she thought she heard her heart skip a little. "Lazy, you are the only person that can truly make me happy."

They didn't kiss romantically at that point or share a loving hug. They didn't need to. They just got it. In between those two sentences, a secret message was sent: " I love you."


	6. Pursuit of Happiness Part 2

_Tell me what you know about dreaming dreaming_

_you don't really know about nothing nothing_

It was the middle of a peaceful tranquil night. The stars shined brightly against a dark blue background, and the summer breeze floated through Shikamaru's window lightly tapping him on the face.

Shikamaru shot up in his bed to look directly into the scene outside. He rubbed his eyes violently trying to recall what his dream was about. He sighed as he realized exactly why he had woken up in such a frenzy. "Why her?"

Only three years ago, it would've been a nightmare to have her in his dreams. But now, it wasn't. And that in itself was a nightmare to him.

_Tell me what you know about them night terrors every night_

_5 am, cold sweats, waking up to the skies_

He got out of his bed swiftly which was much unlike himself. He looked out of his window toward the direction of Suna. He sighed as he hated knowing exactly where the location of Suna was and not knowing exactly where she was.

It drove him crazy. He was a genius, and the fact that he had no clue about something dwelled on his mind. He glanced over his shoulder to see his clock. It was five o'clock, and he should still be sleeping. That, in itself, was making him irritable.

He closed his eyes as he leaned against his window sill. She was probably traveling on the path to Konoha right now. Knowing her, she'd be here by this afternoon. She was always somehow a day earlier than expected. To this day, Shikamaru could never figure out how she did it.

But that was one of her many qualities that he couldn't figure out. And he sighed even louder this time. And that brought even more sex appeal to her.

"You know, I thought you would have been at the gates waiting for me, crybaby." He peeked his left eye open to see her smiling face close to his. That caused him to smirk unintentionally. She had that power over him.

_tell me what you know about dreams, dream__s_

_tell me what you know about night terrors, nothing_

"Temari, you are more trouble than you're worth." He never used her name with such adoration before. It scared him. She knocked him on the back of the head lightly. That was her way of showing affection. Actually, it was one of her only ways of showing affection.

To Shikamaru, he couldn't place why he felt so strongly toward her. She was smart, which would always bite him in the butt if he made an excuse. She would figure it out. She was beautiful, in a scary way. She was commonly refered to as Suna's flower. That was the only way Shikamaru could describe her. She was hardened and tan, but there were moments where she showed a friendly and loving nature that blew Shikamaru away. She was difficult. She made things complicated. And yet, that only made Shikamaru love her more. It made no sense to him, but he knew that love never made any sense.

Temari looked puzzled at him, but she played it off smoothly. "Well, I could say the same thing about you, Nara." She kept smiling. It was driving him crazy. It was yet another nightmare to him. Her smile was always so hypnotizing.

The sun had just barely crept over the horizon. It brought light shades of purple and pink that hit her face causing her to squint and accidentally pucker her lips. Shikamaru smirked. His own night terror was here.

_you don't really care about the trials of tomorrow_

_rather lay awake in a bed full of sorrow_

Temari pushed Shikamaru back as she slipped through the window. "You know, I thought your room would look a little bit…" She viewed the room intently, taking in the little details there actually was. "different."

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. His room had always been very bland and rather messy. Both were the result of his laziness. "It's too troublesome to design the place."

Temari turned around violently staring at him; however, her smile outset it. As she had turned, one of her ponytails flew out of her hair and underneath the bed. "Oh great. Now I've lost another one." She gripped the three other ponytail holders and scooted them out of her hair. As her locks of hair fell, it looked like a waterfall of gold. Shikamaru quickly blushed.

He had hoped that she hadn't seen that, but as he expected, she did. She was too observant. "Crybaby, it's just hair." She laughed her loud harsh laugh that Shikamaru had fallen in love with.

He smiled as he walked past her and fell into the bed, looking up at her confused face. His smile grew as her face turned red. "What troublesome? It's just a bed."She quickly showed basic signs of anger. She always covered them up at first, but they normally grew into rage. Shikamaru just knew that that was the way Temari was. "Come here, Temari."

She sat on the bed and looked back at him. "Temari, please come here." She shifted onto the bed and stopped alittle closer to him. Shikamaru gripped her wrist lightly and pushed her onto the bed next to him. He wrapped his arm around her and closed his eyes.

Temari laid there for awhile before speaking up. "Shikamaru?"

Shikamaru cracked his eyes open looking directly into her beautiful ones. "Yes."

She crept into him closer. "What took you so long?"

Shikamaru wasn't the type of person to hold his tongue when asked for an explanation. "It's because you are trouble, Temari. You keep me awake at night, and you make me worry. Why would I have needed you in this bed if you never truly left?"

She slapped him jokingly on the chest even though she knew that he felt its slight harshness. "Guess you changed your mind, Nara. What a typical guy move."

_I'm on the pursuit of happiness and I know everything that shines ain't always gonna be gold_

_I'll be fine once I get it, I'll be good_

Temari curled so perfectly in his arms. And it was then that he remembered what his father had told him years ago. Every woman will show a softer side to the one she loves.

_I'm on the pursuit of happiness. I know everything that shines ain't always gold_

Temari would never be perfect, but then again, neither would he. She, however, had been the only person to constantly put up with his antics, and he was the only person that could truly care about every part of her. Shikamaru slowly kissed the top of her head. Temari only mumbled indefinable grunts and moans. Shikamaru smiled and blushed at his own thoughts. He closed his eyes.

_Pursuit of happiness, yeah_

_I don't get it, I'll be good_

Only a few years ago, he would not have given her the time of day. Well, he would. She was gorgeous then too, but more or less, he would never have approached her.

And now, she was in his apartment. In his room. In his bed. He just didn't get it, but he couldn't complain. He didn't have to worry, and she could play on his mind while he slept. No more night terrors for the day at hand.

He was good.


	7. Valentine's Day

**Hey there guys...and girls. :) Sorry it took so long to get this up. I just was trying to get it right because it's my first request. It has some angst, but I just can't kill either of these characters. :/ Anyways, I hope you enjoy. Read and review please. :D The song is Valentine's Day by Linkin Park.**

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**"Valentine's Day"**

_My insides all turned to ash, so slow_

_And blew away as I collapsed, so cold_

They told me the news as if it were nothing new. They told me as if you were just another random person on the street that I never had met. It was just another topic to cover on the Hokage's agenda.

I knew that our village is somewhat cold and rough around the edges, but for not one person to even flinch at the mention of his name shocked me. Nara Shikamaru was MIA; therefore, he wouldn't be escorting me during the chunnin exams.

It was that simple. Life was to move on as normal. But, there in lies my problem. Everything is no longer normal for me.

It is now back to that empty feeling inside of my chest. It pulls everything around as if it were connected to one of Kankuro's puppets. It feels cold like Gaara used to be.

The meeting was over, just like that. I planned to race out of there as fast as I could to reach fresh air and feel the hot wind hit my face to help me focus, but Gaara ordered me to stay with him to talk. As my little brother, I would have said no, but he was my Kazikage now. I was not to disrespect him.

"Temari, you were close to Nara." He said it as a fact like he knew what was secretly between us. That bond of friendship and that mutual agreement that we both wanted more but didn't dare. Though, we ignored that sometimes on occasion.

"Yes." I wasn't going to lie to him because that would mean that I would have to sit here longer. "But as a ninja, these things happen all the time. We have to accept it and move on."

Gaara sat there looking out the window. He was thinking. Sometimes I worry that he thinks too much. "I see. You always were overly mature, Temari. You are logical, but don't forget to let out your emotions sometimes." He gave his best effort at a smile. "Or you'll end up like me."

I nodded and stood up slowly heading to the door. As I placed my hand on the doorknob, I looked back to see Gaara's face. It looked sad and worried, and I knew it was because of me.

I walked outside into the streets wondering how to calm myself down. On the outside, I probably appeared all right. Maybe even content. I had that uncanny ability to do that.

The wind blew and picked up sand and flung in into my eyes causing them to water.

It was my signal, and I hated nature for that. I raced home through the crowds of people looking at me as if I were insane.

In some respect, they were right. It was insane to care this much about someone as a ninja. You keep people at a distance. You don't let your guard down. And yet, I did.

I collapsed onto my bed as soon as I entered my bedroom. My face hit the pillow as droplets hit the fabric.

From now on, I was alone again. I needed to do everything by myself again.

How cruel life really was.

_A black wind took them away, from sigh__t_

_And held the darkness over day, that night_

I never thought that I would be the one to be captured. But, I guess that if the genin had followed my orders, I wouldn't have been. But the next generation of Shinobi are more important to the village than I will ever be. I had protected them so they could get away.

And then there was nothing but darkness. The kind of darkness that makes you think about the people you care about. And then it all fades. But the thing about the darkness is that you focus on the most important person to you last.

It surprised me to imagine her of all the people. Temari of the Sand was the last person I saw before the black took over.

On top of that, I happened to wake up in a torture chamber. It was all troublesome. I wasn't going to talk. That's not how a Shinobi operates. The funny ironic thing about this chamber is that it has several cracks of light. A torture chamber is to be dark and scary for lack of better words.

As I decided to survey the ninja, I noticed that he was not the same one I had fought. The ninja was sand Shinobi. And that only brought her back to my mind. Then of all times. I needed to focus. The Sand Village was an ally. Surely, this has to be a mistake.

"Well, if it isn't Nara Shikamaru. We heard so highly of you." He paused, and so I took the opportunity to highly assess the situation. I was chained. There was no shock there. What was surprising was that I was chained to a chair instead of a wall. And the chair was not chained to the ground. I could retaliate if I needed to. "Oh, poor Nara. You really shouldn't have gotten close to her."

I looked into his eyes. They were cold and harsh just like every other sand nin's eyes. Like her eyes most of the time. He was a bulky character meaning he focused on brute strength rather than logistics. There is an advantage there. But he was going to pound on me in the meantime. My greatest strength was no help to me for awhile.

How cruel life really was.

_And the clouds above move closer_

_Looking so dissatisfied_

For me, the hardest thing about going to a funeral is seeing the gathered mass that is all around you. This is especially true in the Hidden Leaf Village. They are close-knit and take every death was complete reconciliation.

It was funny to see that much unlike my village people generally cared for each other's welfare here. It seemed that I was not the only person that cared for him. That cared about him. That wanted him to come back.

The clouds drifted overhead. They moved in a lazy nonchalant sort of way. They moved in a way that reminded me of him. On the bright side of this situation, he would have liked the scenery above him. The caring loved ones he fought so hard for mourning and a lovely sky above us all. I am not someone to cry about anything. I just don't cry. After years of emotional training, you were not allowed to show signs of weakness in my village.

But I was not in my village. I was in a place where crying was not frowned upon. Naturally, water built up in my eyes and eventually rolled down my cheeks. This time I chose not to wipe them off. I never truly showed that I cared about him in his lifetime, but I was sure as hell not going to rub off his funeral as nothing. Even Nara deserved that type of respect.

Unexpectedly, a hand landed on my shoulder. Shikaku stood beside me, and as I turned, I saw Yoshino headed away from the crowd. I knew how she felt, but I was sure my pain was nothing compared to hers. She was his mother after all.

"Temari, I'm glad you came. I wish you didn't have to, but he would have wanted you here." Shikaku's voice was quivering somewhat. It was much unlike himself, but I realized that death brought things out of people no one really expected. Gaara was the perfect example of that.

I simply nodded at him. "I wouldn't have missed it for anything." She looked directly into his eyes firmly. She wanted to make her point very apparent to him. "I mean that."

She noted the brief gust of wind that flew over the funeral. She was always reassured by the wind, but this time, she couldn't get a clear sense from it. Now, she really had nothing to comfort her.

_But the heartless wind kept blowing, blowing_

Of all the people I knew, I never imagined that I would be the person be tortured to death. But it's too troublesome to think of something like that. Simply because focusing on something as trivial as a what if? won't erase the pain that now throbs on my body. The guy was a hard ass. He thinks way too highly of themselves.

He was strong, but he was very thick-headed. I used no chakra when he beat the shit out of me. You would think that he would have noticed that I had been preserving it but apparently not.

I was now on the ground sore and throbbing. He left me bloody and bruised in this isolated room. What a major drag.

So now comes my escape out. My shadows could do the trick, but a wind blew my hope away as the door open and shut.

"Nara!" That voice was definitely Kankuro's. As I looked up, I saw pure panic and a dose of shock in him. I guess I look worse than I had originally thought. Something must have gone on here that was beyond both of our knowledge. It was probably even below Gaara's head. "What the hell happened?"

I sat up against the nearest wall while I was still bound in the chains. "Well, if you didn't know, Gaara probably didn't either. I'm guessing one of Temari's suitors heard of her talking about me. He intentionally came looking for me, and he was willing to hurt any innocent kids to get to me." I don't know why, but anger filled me. The genin did nothing wrong. "What's his name, Kankuro?"

Kankuro sighed and approached me, breaking the chains with the sharp edges of his puppets. They really were works of art, well, works of the art of battle. "He fled the village. He was a rogue ninja that came back to obtain Temari as something of a prize." He paused. I could tell that he was trying to tuck back emotions that were sure to have come out otherwise. "He is a scumbag that manages to get away every time we get close to catching him."

As my hands were made available to me, I started planning my next move. He was after Temari, and he wasn't going to leave without her. I turned to Kankuro quickly and placed my hands on his shoulders. "Where is she?"

Kankuro looked at me in a way that I had never seen him. "She's at your funeral in Konoha."He said it so plainly. Emotional while showing no signs of emotions. That was a talent that not even Temari could do. It hit me that they thought I was dead, but she was in Konoha, unaware and unprepared. "Fine. We have to get there fast." I tried to stand only to feel the intense pain in my legs that I had ignored for several hours. It hurt, but I could ignore it until nightfall.

I could tell that Kankuro was alittle panicked; I would have been surprised if he didn't because I felt crazy. Here I was worrying about someone that could take care of herself. But the thing is I wasn't going to take the chance. That guy was crazy. There was no telling what he'd do.

_I used to be my own protection, but not no__w_

_Cause my path had lost direction, somehow_

It has been three days now in Konoha, and this will be the fourth night here.

The night was officially the worst time of the day. It was when all your thoughts flood through your head, and the memories you try to face deep inside yourself resurface. It doesn't help when the night is filled with rain that keeps you up either. I never thought that I would end up in a place like this. I was the one that was supposed to be the hard ass that buried emotions so deep inside herself that they would never appear.

But it's funny to see that in retrospect no one can be emotionless. Not even Gaara.

Now, sitting up in the bed we shared many nights together, I'm lost. No one knew that he was the reason I improved ranks so quickly. He pushed me to be better without ever really doing anything. I wanted to impress him, and every time I did. That only empowered me.

I placed my head on my knees and let the tears trinkle down onto my legs. It wasn't worth holding in any longer.

The door creaked open, and it was then that fear took over me. And this time, lazyass wasn't going to be able to save me. "My dear princess, don't cry anymore."

I didn't look at him because I knew who he was. I glanced to the corner of my room where my greatest ally sat on the floor. My fan was the only hope of going against a brutally massive ninja like him.

So I darted to the corner only to be pulled against him as my hand grazed my only hope. It was over.

"Just get back into the bed. We'll be just fine." I hesitated to his command, but he pushed me onto the bed harshly before I could really react. I hated him. I hated anyone that could have so much power over me. Not only that, to actually use it on me.

Shikamaru was the only person I ever let take over me willingly. Even then, he was gentle and kind in his takeover. This guy was radically different.

He shoved me around on the bed until he was on top of me. I struggled to get him off, but his strength overwhelmed my efforts. "Stop!"

But there was nothing else I could do so I closed my eyes. But suddenly he stopped. I was afraid to open them, but when the pressure of his body was relieved, I cracked them open. "Are you alright?" That voice couldn't be his. He was dead.

But as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I saw the guy binded in shadows. I simply nodded as I watched the ninja die a slow and painfully hostile death in the shadows. He deserved it. He deserved every single painfully dark second.

"Shikamaru…" He emerged from behind the figure, pulling a kunai out of his pocket. He was bruised and obviously exhausted, but he was definitely alive. He stabbed the kunai into the guy's heart.

He approached me slowly and eventually passed out on the bed as soon as he reached it. There was nothing like watching a supposedly dead person sleep.

_A black wind took you away, from sight_

_And held the darkness over day, that night_

Looking back on last night, I can only hope nothing like that happens again. But I know something of the sorts will cause events like that again. Unless I'm lucky. I had rushed him to hospital only to find him even worse off than I thought he was. He still hasn't woken up, and it scares me to think that I will have to lose him again.

_And the clouds above move closer_

_Looking so dissatisfied_

Even when I know I'm unconscious, she still has to enter my mind. The clouds I have imagined are absolutely perfect. It was a perfect day that I had made up in my mind. I laid in the grass where it was perfectly perfect. Yet, it was all wrong. Because she wasn't there beside me. I had risked my life to save hers. Now, I had to get back to her. That was the only way to stop this miserably beautiful dream. Or in my own troublesome mind, a nightmare.

That's when I opened my eyes to meet her worried ones. I have only seen those a few times in the years I've known her. One being the other night, before I passed out. It was weird to wish for something so much and unexplainably get it. It blows even my mind.

"Hey troublesome." It was weird to hear my voice so raspy and faint. But then again, I don't think I've used my vocal chords in days. That would explain a lot of it.

_And the ground below grew colder_

_As they put you down inside_

I tried to walk today when I first woke up, and I unfortunately failed miserably. My feet fell from underneath me, and she had to giggle at the sight. There was nothing new about her laugh. It had to same sound waves and same tone, but it was something sweet to hear after days of torment and relentlessly toil.

They had to check me out on an operation table. They had to lift me up on it, and I could see her face drop. She was traumatized even though she would never admit it. She lost someone dear to her before. I smile at the thought of Temari being a little needy of people.

They took me away from her. I told her to take a walk with Choji outside. That it would help her calm down. And for once, she actually took my advice without a comment or retort. She nodded and I hoped that Choji had that unending kindness toward her.

_But the heartless wind kept blowing, blowing_

He told me to go outside so I did what he asked. This was my way of following his last wish if this was it. As if I could ever repay him for what he did. Kankuro was headed to Konoha with him, but Shikamaru persisted faster than Kankuro thought was smart.

In the great scheme of things, I'm glad that he was so stupid. Or I don't know what type of mental state I would be in at the moment.

Choji was outside in the courtyard, eating as always. However, it was of a healthier choice instead of his normal bag of chips. He sat on a bench looking up at the clouds. I could tell that he was worried too. Maybe even more than I was worried.

I felt guilt more than anything. This whole ordeal was my own fault. That sort of thing bothers of strong-headed and confident person like me. Though, no one would admit it.

I hurried out the doors only to be met with a cold brisk wind. It was a sign and I could never ignore something as strong as it. The scent the wind brought to my senses was his and only his. I still proceeded to approach the bench and almost collapsed next to Choji.

"Temari.. he'll be okay."

_So now you're gone, and I was wrong_

_I never knew what it was like, to be alon__e_

The thought of being alone again irked me. It was quite obvious that it hadn't worked out for me the first time. Being powerless wasn't my style, and yet here I was hoping some guy would be okay. It was infuriating especially when roses and chocolates surrounded me everywhere. Oh, how I hate Valentine's Day.

_On a Valentine's Day, on a Valentine's Da__y_

_On a Valentine's Day, on a Valentine's Day_

_On a Valentine's Day, on a Valentine's Day_

I decided to head back inside and wait for Shikamaru. It is not that I disliked Choji, it was simply that he couldn't help. But as I approached his room, I saw his face, his smug intelligent face being wheeled back into the room. I sighed and hurried into the room. Well, not hurried, more like briskly and casually walked in.

And just like that, he smirked as he watched me enter. There was a bouquet of roses on his tableside.

I sat down in a chair near the window. "Are those from Ino?" I knew they were, and if he tried to deny it, I'd know he was lying. Who else would bring flowers to him in the hospital?

He simply nodded. "It's not what you think, Temari." He coughed abruptly, and it made me jump alittle. I doubt he noticed though.

"I told her to buy them for me…well, technically, for you." He picked the tied bunch of flowers up and threw them onto my lap with absolute accuracy. "Happy Valentine's Day."

I knew from the first time I had ever truly talked with Shikamaru that he would never be romantic. It just wasn't in his lazy nature. It's not that he would never try, but he would never succeed. But it is always to thought that counts.

Before he went in, he planned all of this. That takes effort and time. So I got him some props. He tried to be sweet, and in his own little way, he was.

_(I used to be my own protection, but not now)_

As I sat up in the hospital bed, I saw my success written across her face. Well, a small glow resided on her facial features for a split second, but the achievement was there. Under her tough exterior, she was happy. I knew that look.

To anyone else, they would have missed it, but I knew her a lot better than I even knew myself. She enjoyed roses. She never specifically said she did, but every time we would pass the flower shop, she would eye the red roses in the window. The roses, of course, had their own section in the front, and she'd briefly stare at them as we passed.

It was a subtle sign that I doubt anyone else would have noticed.

"Do you like them?" I truly wanted to know if I got it right. Maybe she was staring at the daisies the whole time. Or maybe she was searching for Ino through the clear windows.

"Shikamaru, they're fine." She gazed down at them with a slight twinkle in her eye.

I sighed. I caught a break with her for once.

I realized then that this was a simple game of cat and mouse. I was always the mouse. I was no longer just protecting myself in life. I was also protecting her.


	8. Unpredictable

**Hey readers :D**

**Sorry I haven't been updating this story lately. I have been expanding a new story idea I thought up. Anyways, I know this is short, but it just fits better that way. The song is Unpredictable by Skye Sweetnam. **

**I hope you enjoy it. I would love it if you read and review. Thanks.**

**Hot Mess 12 :)**

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**When everyday is the same old routine**

**Be bold, change it up**

**Kill monotony**

Ever since Temari became the Suna ambassador, life has been nothing more than predictable. It drove her crazy. She likes changes. She embraced her position because she thought that was the point of being an ambassador. An ambassador visits new lands and meets new people.

However, her vision was completely different from the reality of her situation. She had a timed routine for everything. It was annoying, but she dealt with it. It was her decision to become ambassador after all.

She was now, at least, walking toward the front gates of Konoha. The village had slowly become her home away from home. It grew even more special every time she saw it again. And every time she saw him waiting for her even though she was a day earlier than she was scheduled to arrive.

She liked his gesture of waiting for her, but she hated being predictable. It was something she never wanted to become. The life of a ninja should never become a string of countless routines, no matter what position you take.

She walked past Shikamaru without the slightest glance in his direction. Shikamaru sighed, put his hands in his pockets, and trotted closely beside her. He didn't say a word until they passed the flower shop. Anything that was heard within earshot of that place turned into the town gossip for the day. "Well, you're being even more troublesome today than usual." He said it in the most monotonic voice that Temari had ever heard him use, and that drove her crazy.

She snapped back with a huge amount of influxuation of her voice. "What does it matter to you? You would rather I stay quiet anyways!" She kept walking to where she was supposed to check into her room.

"You know that's not what I meant." Shikamaru kept walking beside her as they approached her residence.

**I don't like to blend in with the crowd**

**I don't like to be quiet, I like it loud**

**I'm spontaneous, delirious and all between**

**Live like there's no tomorrow**

**Know what I mean**

Shikamaru knew something was wrong, but he didn't exactly know what it was. That drove him crazy.

She was so unpredictable to him. She never could be simple and talk about her feelings like every other female he had met. She had to make it difficult for him to figure her out. Even now, after years of knowing her, she still left him clueless. The only thing that he had ever been able to figure out is that she was early to the village during her visits.

She was extremely spontaneous. She was worse than Ino or Sakura when it came to that. Every day was a new adventure with her, which if it were anyone else, would end up becoming annoying. Only, as she angrily left him behind, she was an adventure that Shikamaru was willing to go through. He was willing to go through the heaven and the deepest depths of hell with her. It was weird for him to think of it like he was now, but he couldn't help himself.

That was just who Temari was. A person that would always leave him behind, but she would eventually need him. He'd just have to wait for that moment. He smirked as he walked a safe distance behind her. "I hate the quiet."

She abruptly stopped to look at him confused. "That's not true! You go watch the clouds for the peace and quiet there." She held a firm grip on her fan, slowly pulling it out.

"I go there to get away, troublesome woman. There are always noises that are peaceful, but deadpan quiet freaks me out." He looked her straight in the eyes. Her eyes were brilliant shades of anger and curiosity. It was the most unpredictable combination Shikamaru had ever seen.

Temari simply confused him.

**I hate when things are simple and so plain**

**Don't wanna be the same**

**'Cause I'm unpredictable**

**I like when things are crazy and insane**

**Don't wanna be tame**

**'Cause I'm unpredictable**

**Unpredictable**

Temari stomped off violently, but she released her grip on her fan for the moment. He drove her insane sometimes. He was the one person who constantly pushed her buttons, but he always decided to be around when she needed him.

He was simply predictable. And yet, there were moments like this that she would never expect. She never thought that peace and quiet never quite went hand-in-hand. It was intriguing how his mind never stopped ticking. How he was always thousands of steps ahead of her. She was so predictable to him, and that was nothing more than insane.

She briefly looked back to see his face that was as smug as ever.

She hated that too.

Though, as she caught a glimpse of it, she smiled. It was unpredictable. It struck at all the wrong times, and she loved it. It was exactly what she needed to feel spontaneous. The feeling of being crazy and insane was creeping up into her mind. She simply turned around when Shikamaru was looking up at the sky. "Well, I'll make you a deal, lazy."

Shikamaru cocked his eyebrow up. "What exactly are you proposing?"

**I can't stand to be understandable**

**I can't control that I'm uncontrollable**

**Don't be so uptight**

**Just let it g****o**

**Do the unexpected**

**Or you'll never know**

Temari simply smiled at him. "I won't be mad at you if you take me cloud-watching."

Shikamaru gave a shrug and his small smirk grew into a brief smile. "Sure. Why not."

It wasn't the reaction she expected, but it was one that she liked. It was an unpredictable reaction.

**I hate when things are simple and so plain**

**Don't wanna be the same**

**'Cause I'm unpredictable**

**Unpredictable**

**I like when things are crazy and insane**

**Don't wanna be tame**

**'Cause I'm unpredictable**

**Unpredictable**

They walked slowly to his traditional spot on the top of a hill. He sat down quickly and laid on his back to see the sky full of clouds. She sat down so ungracefully that it made him smile. She never was a typical girl. She was never domestically trained to be tame. She was wild, and he liked her that way.

He liked the simple, but he couldn't help but like her company. It was nothing less than unpredictable.

She gazed at the sky. "So, why do you like this so much?" She was being loud again. That was something that came without saying anything.

He glanced at her confused gaze. It was a helpless look that didn't quite suit her face at all. "When you close your eyes, you can hear all of the luxuries that you seem to miss when you're busy looking at life." He smiled and closed his eyes.

She simply did the same.

**Don't wanna be the same, **

**don't wanna be tame**

**I like when things are crazy and insane**

**Don't wanna be tame**

**And I hate when things are boring and mundane**

**'Cause I don't, I don't wanna be the same**

Temari heard the chirps of new born birds and the graceful wind tap against her eardrums. It was so simple and yet, she had missed out on it all. She was nothing like these sounds. She was loud, and she was crazy. She was outrageous, and she was furious. These sounds were calming to her, and Shikamaru noticed.

"You still mad at me?"

And just like that, the moment was gone. "Yes, but that can all change in a matter of seconds." She grinned triumphantly. That was a look that suited her well.

**I hate when things are simple and so plain**

**Don't wanna be the same**

**'Cause I'm unpredictable**

**Unpredictable**

**I like when things are crazy and insane**

**Don't wanna be tame**

**'Cause I'm unpredictable**

**Unpredictable **

They headed back toward her residence. The silence that was once there between them was now filled with the peaceful bustling sounds of Konoha. "Thank you, crybaby."

"No problem." Shikamaru looked up at the crystal blue sky. He liked when Temari came around. Everything was so mixed up and out of order. It was simply unpredictable.

Temari reached the residence and turned to face him. She simply kissed his cheek and raced inside before he could see the brush of pink tint her cheeks.

It was certain. Around her, everything was going to be unpredictable.


	9. Darling

**Alright so this is the next oneshot songfic. :D So this one is a request from ErikaVeex3. I hope you enjoy it. ****The song is Darling by Avril Lavigne. I always appreciate reviews. **

**-Hot Mess 12**

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****Darling**

**you're hiding in the closet once again,**

**start smiling**

Whenever she would visit the village, his attitude would change. Yoshino had noticed it before, but after Asuma's death, it was all the more apparent. He was solemn and reserved the majority of the time he was home, but he seemed so much happier when he escorted her around.

Yoshino had never imagined that her son would like anyone outside of the village. She always figured that he would reluctantly marry someone plain and quiet and complain the rest of his life.

As she looked out the window to find them walking up the path to the house, she was washing the dishes from this morning's meal. Suddenly, she froze. Shikamaru was smiling again.

It was not one of those "I'll smile to be brave and act okay" smiles. It was a real smile with real laughter. She had missed that from her son even though it only happened once in a while before. At least, it had happened before.

**I know you're trying**

**real hard not to turn your head away**

**pretty darling**

**face tomorrow, tomorrow is not yesterday**

**Yesterday oh oooooh**

As they came inside, Shikamaru diverted his glance from his mother. Yoshino simply smiled as she saw the top of his cheeks turn a light shade of pink. "Well, good morning, Temari. I thought you were supposed to arrive tomorrow."

Temari answered respectfully. "I decided to arrive early. To me, it's better to be early than late, Yoshino."

Shikamaru shrugged. "I always thought it was because you like making my life more difficult."Temari slapped him in the back of the head. "Why would I waste my time with thinking about you in any form or fashion?" She smiled brutally in a way that made Yoshino almost shiver. "I just like being early unlike some people."

Shikamaru sighed. "I guess you're right. I'll leave you two alone now. I'm not in the mood to fight today." And with that, he was headed to his bedroom. He soon trailed out of sight.

Temari looked stunned. She quickly turned to Yoshino. "Did something happen to him? Is something wrong?"

Temari asked it so casually, but Yoshino knew better. When she was Temari's age, she did the same thing with Shikaku. The more in control you sound, the less romantic and caring it will sound. Too bad for Temari that Yoshino knew the trick all too well.

"His sensei died in battle three months back." Yoshino returned to the dishes. Temari grabbed the nearest dry hand towel to start drying them off. "Shikamaru's been taking it pretty hard. He shouldn't blame himself, but he constantly does." Yoshino solemnly looked over at Temari. "It's not healthy, Temari. He can't keep thinking about the past or the mistakes of the past. He has to look forward now."

Temari somberly nodded. "Let me talk to him. He'll listen to me."

And with that, she set the dish rag down and raced toward his room.

Yoshino smiled. Her plan had worked.

**Pretty please**

**I know it's a drag**

**wipe your eyes and put up your head**

**I wish you could be happy instead**

Temari didn't bother knocking on his door. It wasn't like he would've replied to her asking anyways. He was just like that. It wasn't that he was open and honest and let everyone into his life. It was more of the fact that he was extremely lazy.

She opened the door to see Shikamaru on his bed and staring at his ceiling. His boring white ceiling. She sighed as she approached his bed. "You know, I think that you hate watching that ceiling. You should probably keep watching that sky of yours. She glanced out the widow.

Shikamaru just sighed and closed his eyes. "It's such a drag to explain the premise to you, isn't it?"

Temari just smiled warmly. "To you, everything is a drag. Scoot over, and we will watch the ceiling together." Shikamaru was shocked at her request. He knew that she had plenty of things to do today. break was not something she did often. He shifted over to make room for her. Temari easily laid down beside him. She looked at the ceiling to make sure that there really wasn't anything that Shikamaru was looking at, and as she expected, there wasn't even a trace of water or dust on it. It was a plain white ceiling, but Shikamaru just glared at it intently. "What are you doing, Temari?"Temari glanced in his direction. "I'm looking at the ceiling." She smirked. He thought that he was so brilliant when she was making him confused with every move she made. "What are you doing, lazyass?"

"I'm thinking." He answered harshly and didn't even glance in her direction as he spoke. He just kept looking at the ceiling. "Will you leave me alone now?"

The ducts of his eyes glistened, making it obvious that he was holding back tears. "You know, Shikamaru, it is okay to cry sometimes. But only sometimes." She gave her best attempt at a smile, and Shikamaru acknowledge her attempt with a heart-filled chuckle.

"Trust me, I have figured that out already. I've learned it lately, in fact." A single tear trickled down his cheek, and without thinking, Temari wiped it away.

She was sure why his sadness affected her so much. It was a weird feeling of compassion toward him. It wasn't a feeling she felt toward her brothers or the other Konoha comrades. It is deeper, and it scared her; however, she wasn't going to act like it around him. "I won't tell a soul, Shikamaru." She got up and headed toward the door. "I hope you're happy."

**There's nothing else I can do**

**But love you the best that I can**

**yeah yeah yeah yeah**

She was stopped. It was as if she couldn't move, but she could if she wished. She would have imagined that Shikamaru would have stopped her with his shadow techniques. Instead, he had lightly gripped her wrist. In a way, it was a silent plea for her to stay. She complied. She climbed back onto the bed.

It was all because she cared. It sucked to actually care about people now.

**Darling**

**I was there once a while ago**

**I know ****that it's hard to be stuck with**

**people that you love**

**when nobody trusts**

There was an awkward silence between them for minutes. They didn't know why, but there it was. Neither one of them knew how to break it, but Shikamaru spoke first.

"How are you supposed to get over something like that? Even though I keep trying nothing is working except..." Temari abruptly interrupted. "You're asking the right person." She gave a small smile. "I've lost many people that I've cared about at even young ages." She sighed. "It takes some time to realize what has happened, and it takes an even longer time to cope and accept it. I know that people around you don't get the pain. You really have to suffer through your pain before helping others with theirs. Remember that, lazy."

She closed her eyes, not realizing that Shikamaru was staring at her. He smiled. He was somewhat glad she had interrupted. He was about to say something that he might have regretted. He heard the words that never quite reached his tongue in his head

_Except when I'm around you_

**You're not the only one who's been through**

**I've been there alone and now so are you**

**I just want you to know, want you to know it's not your 's not your fault**

**your fault your fault**

**it's not your fault**

**your fault your fault your fault**

Temari suddenly popped up and looked around his room. "Shikamaru, it's no wonder you're so depressed. This room is extremely boring." Temari quickly got out of the bed and reached into her pocket to find your small bag of money. It was completely filled to the top with coins. "Get up, Shikamaru."

It was a light-hearted demand that Shikamaru sighed and agreed to. "What are you planning on doing?"

She smiled radiantly at him. "We are redoing your room. Come on…"

Shikamaru smiled back at her, and it threw her off. She never had seen him smile like that often. And she definitely never saw him smile about going shopping. "What are you planning on doing, crybaby?"

He stepped closer and kissed her forehead. "Thank you for everything."

Temari stood stunned in his bedroom while she looked up at him. When did he get so much taller than her? "Shikamaru, you know his death isn't your fault. It happened because of Hidan. If Hidan wasn't there, it never would have happened. There is no way around that."

Shikamaru looked down at her when she was talking sweetly to him. She never really talked to him like that before. He just smiled and did what he thought he would never have to courage to do. He kissed her on the lips. What was more surprising was that there was no violence being returned his way.

There was no slap to the face. There was no punch to the stomach. There was no fan blowing him through his open window.

She kissed back, and the only violence coming his way was her grip on his neck that pushed him closer to her.

**Darling**

**you' re hiding in the closet once again,**

**start smiling**

Yoshino sat on her coach reading a magazine. She was flipping through the pages looking for a decent interesting article to read. She was impatiently hoping that Temari was helping his situation and not destroying it.

Suddenly Shikamaru headed down the stairs with Temari on his heels. His hair was down, and it was never down.

He had a huge grin plastered across his face.

"Mom, Temari is going shopping, and I have to go with her." He found a ponytail on the window sill near him, and he quickly pulled his hair back up.

"That's fine, Shikamaru." Yoshino simply flipped to the next page of her magazine. They headed toward the door in the kitchen, and Yoshino quickly yelled back to them. "Temari is welcome for dinner, Shikamaru,"Temari was the one to reply. "I'll be here, Yoshino." Her voice was as smooth as honey. It was a respectable tone in her voice too. Amazingly, Yoshino ignored it.

Temari was here for Shikamaru in a way no one else could be. She made him laugh and smile like not even Choji or Ino could.

Yoshino knew they would be together, but the happiness went both ways.


	10. Just the Girl

**Hey readers, :)  
****Thanks for the wait. This is another request given to me. The song is "Just the Girl" by Click Five. I eliminated one of the repeating choruses to make the story flow better, but I hope you enjoy it. :)  
-Hot Mess 12**

* * *

**She's cold and she's cruel**

**But she knows what she's doin'**

Shikamaru stood in the ball room of Temari's hotel watching all of the people around him. This ball was supposed to honor the alliance with the Sand village, but that really didn't matter much to Shikamaru. He was looking and waiting for Temari. She had given him an invitation. He didn't know why, but he didn't ask either. He simply leaned against a pillar, hoping something would come up. Temari had a way of driving him crazy, and he knew that he saw her out of the corner of his eye and turned to get a better glimpse of her.

Shikamaru stared at Temari with bewilderment. She had walked into the room and literally turned every guy's head. She was beautiful in her ball gown that was draped in a never-ending array of purples and glitter. It was almost impossible to see her as a threat tonight. Her hair was down to her shoulders, and as she caught sight of Shikamaru across the room, she picked up her dress and headed in his direction.

Shikamaru sighed. She would do something like that. She would approach him and throw a cruel insult his way or say a cold comment to ruin his fantasizing bliss. She had already ruined his idea of what his girlfriend would be. She was everything that he would stay away from. And yet, that drew him closer to her. He wanted her to be just his, but he knew that wouldn't happen. She was too independent to be anyone's. That was just the way she was.

That, to him, was why she was so lethal. She could infect a person with her presence and then she never really would leave.

And as she drew closer with every passing second, he knew she knew what she was doing to him. That was a cold move in itself.

**She pushed me in the pool**

**At our last school reunion**

**She laughs at my dreams**

**But I dream about her laughter**

She soon stood face-to-face with Shikamaru. She had to admit that he cleaned up nice. His tuxedo was seemingly spotless, and his hair was down and actually looked clean. Though, he was leaning against one of the room's pillars, so it was easy to spot him.

"Hey there, lazy." She smiled. If someone had asked her why she liked teasing him, she would chalk it up to the fact that he never got mad at her for doing so. Or it was just the type of relationship that they shared. However, she knew deep inside why she saved insults for him. She liked him and that was the only way she knew how to flirt. It was the closest thing to flirting that she had.

He looked lazily at her. "You know, the last time I was around, I got soaked."Her smile turned brighter. He was walking her toward the gates the morning she left for Suna. Though, he decided to take a detour to the huge water fountain toward the Hokage's office. That was his biggest mistake.

It was beautiful, but everything beautiful had to come to an end. She shoved him into it and stood over the side and laughed. He, however, wasn't going to be outdone (for once). He gripped her hand, and he pushed her into it beside him. Normally, she would have gotten angry, but as she looked at how funny Shikamaru looked, she laughed.

She looked at him now with the biggest smile she could manage. "Well, it's the same for me, you know. It's not like I didn't either."

Shikamaru stood up straight and drew closer to Temari. He gripped her hand and interlocked their fingers. "Have you ever danced a night in your life?"

She looked stunned. She wasn't expecting Shikamaru to be so blunt. That wasn't his style. Besides occasionally dancing behind the doors of her bedroom, she had never actually danced. But she was the former Kazekage's daughter and the current Kazekage's sister, so she should know how to. But was it that obvious that she couldn't? How could Shikamaru quickly pick up on such a minute detail?He led her to the middle of the floor and turned to face her. "I can tell by the reserved way you were walking. Whenever you are in a difficult situation or in unfamiliar territory, your confident stride becomes a reserved one."Her smile faded quickly. She wished she could deny it, but he wouldn't believe her excuse if she had actually come up with one. She just laughed. That was the only way she could play it off cool. "That's a great observation, genius."

Shikamaru smirked and continued. "Well, tonight is probably the best time to learn don't you think?" He loved her laughter, even if it was just to get her out of her current predicament.

**Strange as it seems**

**She's the one I'm after**

She put her hands on his shoulder once he had released his grip. He followed her lead and carefully placed his hands on her waist. One slip could result in a disaster for him. As he looked down at her, he smiled.

It was okay that she was a huge trouble for him. He no longer minded that. Everything that was worth having were troublesome.

**Cause she's bittersweet**

**She knocks me off of my feet**

**And I can't help myself**

**I don't want anyone else**

**She's a mystery**

**She's too much for me**

**But I keep comin' back for more**

**She's just the girl I'm lookin' for**

Shikamaru started to sway back and forth to the music. That was the simplest way to dance tonight. He didn't want to throw anything at her that would be uncomfortable. She looked at him and smiled. "You know, if you actually teach me dance steps, then maybe I can learn them."

She was even more bittersweet than usual. They were swaying, and she had to ruin their peace. She went and made things complicated. Always. However, he knew she was eager to learn. It was really just a two-edged sword that he should have stayed away from. And, yet, he never would.

"Fine. We'll start with the box. Just follow my lead."Suddenly, Temari went limp in his arms. She started to slip and Shikamaru quickly laid her down on the floor, making sure that she could have air. She looked like she was in stress, and he didn't like the look she gave. It didn't suit her features at all.

"Temari, are you alright?" Temari looked at him and suddenly smiled. She pulled him to the ground and stood up, dusting off her empire-waisted dress. "Why do we have to take your lead? Why can't I lead?"

Shikamaru looked up at her. She truly was a mystery to him. One second she is amazingly lovely, and in a split second, she turns into a brutal warrior. It made no sense, but it made him love her more. It was a scary kind of beautiful that the genius couldn't explain.

In all reality, he really didn't want to figure it out. That would take the appeal away from it, and he loved her appeal. Though, he would probably never admit it to anyone but himself, he needed her in his life.

**She can't keep a secret**

**For more than an hour**

Shikamaru slowly stood up. "Well, in dancing, men are supposed to take the lead. It's just what is done. Plus, you really don't know how to dance yet, so how would you take the lead?"

Temari looked up at him distastefully. She hadn't really thought of it little detail. Her mouth always seemed to get in her in a bind aruond him. He was lethal in that regard. He was the only person who could ever outsmart her, and that drove her crazy. Shikamaru simply walked over to her and gripped her waist once again. Temari sighed and lifted her arms on top of his shoulders. "Shikamaru, you know I never actually ever needed to dance. I...well, honestly, I don't care for it."  
Shikamaru just smirked and looked up at the ceiling. It was draped with chandeliers and had a gorgeous rounded golden roof. He looked back at Temari. She was the prettier sight. "Temari, that's no secret."

**She runs on 100 proof attitude power**

**And the more she ignores me**

**The more I adore her**

**What can I do?**

**I'd do anything for her**

As he lead her in the box, she stayed quiet. Her attitude was creeping its way into the scene.

She was ignoring him even though he was so close to her, and for Shikamaru, it was easy to spot. She did it when she was flustered or angry. But, at the moment, she was neither. It was weird teacheing someone how to dance when they won't even give you a sparing glance. It was equally weird for that person to be Temari.

But, in the silence, the scarce light in the place hit Temari's face. It showcased her high cheekbones and great eye color perfectly. Shikamaru knew he souldn't say anything to her about it, but he couldn't help himself. His adoration for her was too strong. He leaned in close to her left ear and began to whisper. "You look stunning tonigt...even though you won't even say a word."

**Cause she's bittersweet**

**She knocks me off of my feet**

**And I can't help myself**

**I don't want anyone else**

She began to blush, and she quickly pushed Shikamaru away and scurried past him. Shikamaru had to admit she was powerful for a woman. He almost fell completely off his feet by her little shove.

It was frustating watching her leave because he knew he had messed up. He should have just kept his mouth shut. Then maybe he'd have a better opportunity with her. Then again, he might have never had a shot with her.

So, he sprinted past people to get closer to where she headed out of the room. He would find her, and he would not hesitate this time.

He didn't want to lose her. That would be complete turtore to him. He never wanted anyone else like he wanted her. As crazy as it sounded to him, he couldn't help but love her.

**She's a mystery**

**She's too much for me**

**But I keep comin' back for more**

**She's just the girl **

**I'm lookin' for**

It wasn't hard to see her headed toward her suite. That's where she always headed when she wanted to get away from it all. There was no stopping her so he would just have to hope that she would open the door to him. He didn't really know why she had abruptly left, but the thought never occured to him.

That's what love would do to a genius. The brain would stop functioning like it normally would, and it ran on a non-stop high of adreline.

She acted strange and mysterious when he called her name as he looked at her from the bottom of the stairs. She just kept on going without paying any attention to his voice. That bewildered Shikamaru.

**And when she sees it's me**

**On her caller ID**

**She won't pick up the phone**

**She'd rather be alone**

As Shikamaru got to the top of the stairs, he heard a door slam and the bolt lock. There was going to be a never-ending battle with this woman. It was one that he knew he would never win. That was just the way it was with her. And so, Shikamaru went quickly to her door and pounded on it. "Temari, what's wrong?" The tone in his voice scared even him. The fluxulation in his voice was a craing and mild one. He hadn't even heard it come from his mouth.

There was no reply, and that irratated Shikamaru. The least she could have done is said "Go away!" or "Leave me alone!". But she made everything difficult. That was just the way she was.

He started pounding on her was a hearty pound that echoed in her suite. He knew it was annoting her,and she'd give in eventually.

He heard the bolt scrape and the door crept open. "What do you want now?"

He was shocked it see her with puffy eyes.

**But I can't give up just yet**

**Cause every word she's ever said**

**Is still ringin' in my head**

**Still ringin' in my head**

He heard the bolt scrape, and the door started to creep open to reveal a distressed Temari. "What do you want now?"

He was shocked to see her with red puffy eyes. Her eye make-up was running down her face like a waterfall. And yet, she was just as beautiful to Shikamaru.

It just showed him that she really was a girl. "I want to talk to you, Temari. Most of the time when a date runs off, you chase after them."

Temari just blushed again. It was turning a bright crismon before she spoke. "Who ever said I was your date?"

**She's cold and she's cruel**

**But she knows what she's doin'**

**Knows just what to say**

**So my whole day is ruined**

It was Shikamaru's turn to blush. For a supposed genuis, that wasn't a very bright move. She was right. No one had ever said it was a date. He just assumed because of the invitation and the dancing.

That one question that popped out of her mouth ruined his night and ruined his hopes. They would always just be friends. What a drag.

**Cause she's bittersweet**

**She knocks me off of my feet**

**And I can't help myself**

**I don't want anyone else**

**She's a mystery**

**She's too much for me**

As Shikamaru began to rub the back of his neck and begin to explain his reasoning, Temari smiled. She quickly opened her doors to reveal her in gray sweatpants and one shirt with the Nara sign on the sleeve. He stood in shock for a few moments. He forgot that he had given that to her when the raind drenched her kimono. But it was a shock to him that she never gave it back. She gripped his wrist. "You just said that you wanted to talk, didn't you?"

Her smile was back as he entered. She was nothing else but a complete mystery to him. She knew no bounds in confusing him. That was one of her many bittersweet qualites that knocked him off of his guard.

As he sat in his designated chair by the coffee table, he relaxed slightly; however, it was smart to stay alert around her. One slip-up and chances would be gone. Or worse.

She came up behind Shikamaru and wrapped her arms around his neck in the form of a hug. "Hey, crybaby?"

Shikamaru just sighed happily. "What?"

Temari went to sit on her bed, taking her warmth away from him as well. He stared at her as she sat directly across from him. "I'm sorry I ruined your night. I just...I don't know." He watched her facial expressions meticiously. She was uncomfortable to the point where she was alittle scared. She was over-confident in everything she did, so to see her in such a state was nothing less than shocking. "Lazy, I have to tell you something like I don't know how to say."

**But I keep comin' back for more**

**But I keep comin' back for more**

**Oh, I keep comin' back for more**

Shikamaru stood up and walked around the coffee table to sit next to her on the bed. He, under any other circumstances, would avoid being so close and intimate with her, but he couldn't help himself. Her scent was readiating itself into his nostrils. He reached for her hand. His actions were given a surprise reaction from her. She simply squezzed his hand tightly with her own. "Does this mean that you have something you want to tell me but can't?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes for a few seconds and sighed. "No. It just means that I have fallen for the most troublesome person I have ever met."

Temari turned toward him and laughed. "Well, you think it's easy to admit something like that." She leaned in close to his cheek and pecked it with her tender lips.

Shikamaru turned her face to meet his and kissed her. He just couldn't help it. He would always be coming back for more of her. Whatever she would spare him would be fine.

**She's just the girl I'm lookin' for**

**Just the girl I'm lookin' for**

**I'm lookin' forI'm lookin' for**

**I'm lookin' for**

Suddenly, she seperated and smacked him in the face. "Just because I kissed you, that doesn't mean that you have the same right."

Shikamaru simply smirked and nodded. He knew this whole thing was going to be difficult and quite a task. It would be more dangerous than most of his missions. But that was okay; it was just the way Temari was.

"What are you smiling about, lazyass?" Her mood was playful now.

"You taste good, troublesome. It was worth the slap." He got up and headed to the door.

**Just the girl I'm lookin' fo****r**

Temari followed him until he opened the door. "Shikamaru, would you like to stay the night?"

There was only one bed in the suite. Shikamaru knew the layout back and forth. Just in case of an emergency, he needed to know every detail of his surroundings. He smiled.

She acted like she didn't need him, but she did.

She was just the girl he needed. She was the girl that he never thought he was searching for, but he was looking for her all along.

"I would never leave you if you didn't want me to."


	11. We are the Sound

Hi there,

I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's for the song We are the Sound by The Afters. It's pretty short and basic, but I personally love the simplicity of it all. :D I appreciate all of the readers, and all the helpful and encouraging reviews that have been left on these one-shots. I hope you continue to like it, but I wanna know when you don't. :)

Sincerely,

Hot Mess 12

* * *

**Now is the time we have**

**Take it, never give it back**

It was midnight. Temari could tell by how high the moon was in the sky. It was a half-crescent moon, but its light was as strong as a full moon. Hiding in the shadows was not her best forte. It never had been. She would rather attack head-on and beat the crap out of her opponent than sit and wait to get the upper hand.

It was crazy how easily Shikamaru could walk through the forests outside of Konoha. He look so calm and collected, but she knew better. The only time he ever went walking in the forests was when he wasn't sure what to do next. It was when he was at his weakest. It was a time when Temari almost didn't recognize him.

He walked past the tree she was perched in without as much as a glance given to its direction. His hands were placed in his pockets as they almost always were, and she was blown away when he started talking.

His words were soft and contemplative, but they existed in the ear-shot of her.

**Say what you mean to say**

**This could be your only chance**

"That was a stupid move. Of all of the things I said, I had to say that." Shikamaru looked up at the moon. It was bright, but it was comforting to know that he wasn't the only thing alive at this time of night. Out here, the crickets chirped, but that was the only company he would ever have.

Temari landed softly on the ground, but she leaned against the tree. She was just going to watch him tonight, but this Plan B seemed more fun to her. "So, what exactly did you say wrong?"

She loved bothering him because he would have to analyze everything. In his mind, he only had one chance at whatever he was bothered by. That was the amusing part in this game she played with him.

**Everybody's watching out**

**For someone who can show them how**

Shikamaru stopped his slow walk instantly. Of all the things she could have done on her free night, she chose to follow him. She was what he knew to look out for when he was trailing off in his thoughts. She was the bright spot anyways.

Though, tonight she was the last person he wanted to show up amidst the trees. "It's nothing."

He turned to face her as he spoke. He kept a calm and relaxed facial expression to try to throw her off; however, he knew it didn't help. She had heard what he had said, and there was no way around that.

She was frustrating. She was so frustrating that he had gone to Choji about her earlier. Shikamaru had no idea to approach her about what was on his mind. It was disturbing that she was the bright side of his thoughts. After his sensei's death, she brought him smiles every time she visited. That, in itself, was disturbing to him. He didn't hate to smile or anything. He just never pictured himself smiling around her so much.

So, Choji had been his lost hope at a straight answer, and it was an utter disaster. Choji chalked it up to the love bug.

Now, love was the furthest thing from what he felt for her. It was not possible to feel anything more than friendship for her. She was not a person to fall in love with him so the feeling had to be mutual.

But apparently, everyone else in the village didn't feel quite the same way. Ino spread the news like the gossiper she naturally was. And, it never ceased to amaze Shikamaru how many people whispered when he entered a shop or restaurant.

He chalked it up to his horrible luck as a Nara, but he knew the truth. He was in the one thing he hoped he would never truly be in: love. On top of it all, it was with someone as troublesome as they got.

He stood in front of her now. And for the first time in his life, he was truly terrified of a woman. Women naturally scared him, but this was a different type of fear. It was a fear of rejection. And that was his biggest fear.

That was why he never tried. He had no one there to show him how to go about bringing this up to a woman. He wouldn't ask any women in his village because none of them would keep it secret. He wouldn't ask the men because they were either perverts, naive, or in his father's case, to lazy to really give any helpful advice. That meant he was on his own with Suna's princess.

That, in itself, was a scary thought.

**To be what they wanna be and**

**Stand never backing down**

Still, Shikamaru was a noble shinobi. He had learned from his own sensei that backing down from any fight was unacceptable for the protection of the village. And yet, he had forfeited the match with Temari. To this exact moment, he knew that he had plenty of energy to finish her off, but for some reason, he didn't want to hurt her to an extremity. That was one detail, and he liked the way she looked at him with fear. She was out of control, and that look had been enough to let her enjoy her freedom again.

Now, he was in her shoes. He knew how she was feeling. He was helpless and hopeless to her every whim.

She spoke in her most menacing voice. "So, we really don't have all night for you to think of an elaborate and detailed answer, crybaby. What did you say wrong to me?"Shikamaru knew how to win a battle with her. He had to get her mad first. She'd lose her cool after that happened. "Whoever said I was talking about you?"

She stood out of the moonlight's view to hide her red face, but he could see right through it. She knew that he was playing around with her. That pissed her off.

**Here we are**

**Here we are**

They stood face to face as he drew near to her. He wasn't sure why he was beign bold. That wasn't his style at all, but the element of surprise would catch her off guard. That was the one thing he wanted more than anything tonight. He shoved her against the tree she was near. He trapped her in between his arms, and she looked away. "I said that I wanted to be your friend."

They were silent for awhile before she spoke. "Yeah, I figured it was something like that."

**We are the sound**

**We are the siren **

**We're all around**

**And we won't stop singing it out**

They were the type of people that brought out the worst and best of each other. That was the part of their budding relationship that spoke louder than any set of words. Everyone could see it, but they denied it.

Until that night. The night when the moonlight shown on each other perfectly. The night when they had no idea why they found themselves so uncomfortably close. The night when their lips touched; the night when their lips touched for more than a chance encounter.

The kiss spoke like words could not. It magnified the feelings they kept discrete and away from each , it didn't last long. She pushed him away and slapped him. Even though she accepted the kiss gracefully, she couldn't accept what was happening. She darted off with Shikamaru smiling. And suddenly, she was stopped. She was unable to move her body.

**Shout it out**

**Like you believe i****t**

**We'll break it down **

**When we all start singing it out**

**Shout it out now **

He wanted to shout with her under his brief control. So, much unlike himself, he decided that was his best course of action. She would have to hear him that way. "You can't do that!"Temari sighed. She wasn't going to scream back at him. At least, she wasn't going to do that tonight. "Do what?"Shikamaru kept up his angry rant. "You can't expect me to accept things as they are after tonight! You are the most infuriating woman I have ever met, and yet, I care about you more than anything!"

Shikamaru simmered down after his last sentence. He went out of control. He didn't think of any more moves to make in his head. He didn't want to. She was the one person that he liked to think about being spontaneous with.

Temari stood there as Shikamaru released his jutsu. She walked toward him, and without saying a word, she hugged him. She never hugged anyone. It wasn't something she like doing, but he wrapped his arms around her, and after the cold chill of the night hit her for hours as she had watched him, she didn't mind it as much as she thought she would. She shouted her emotions at him in the most unusual way. She used her small amount of kindness to show him that it wasn't ending with tonight.

**Silence is an enemy**

**That keeps us from the things we need**

**It ages but it never grows**

**So quiet that we start to bleed**

The next day she was scheduled to return to Suna, and without saying a word, they headed to the gates from her temporary home. It killed both of them to swallow their pride and talk, so they refused to do it.

They needed each other, but they couldn't expect anything to blossom from what happened the night before. It just wouldn't happen with everything that was in their way. That was the detail that stung them the most.

Temari just sighed. Shikamaru looked over at her and smirked. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I would say you're avoiding the subject."She kept walking and kept looking forward. She'd break down otherwise, and she was too stubborn and headstrong to do such a thing like that. "I didn't realize there was a subject that was supposed to be brought up."

"Okay." Shikamaru saw the gates, and he knew that for now, this was an ending. And the beginning wasn't as bright as he thought it would be.

**Lets shake it off and let it go**

**Forgetting what we think we know**

She shook the feeling off as nothing more than an upset stomach, but she knew better. She had fallen for him, but she did more than that. She let him in.

It was exactly what her downfall would be, but she forgot that as she approached the gates. "How about dinner?"Shikamaru glanced in her direction, and she looked back more confidently than she thought she would. "Huh?" Shikamaru knew that was pitiful, but he wanted to make sure that he heard her right.

"The next time I come here, take me out to dinner." She smiled at him like she always seemed to do.

That was the best sign of acceptance to him. He simply nodded and smirked. He looked up at the sky.

**We'll make it all a memory**

**We're taking back control **

That was the best sign of acceptance to him. He simply nodded and smirked, which she shortly followed in.

She waved as she left with a huge smile pasted across her elegantly rigid face. She was the biggest contradiction known to man. But she was in control of her life, and Shikamaru admired that.

He turned and headed to the Nara residence once she was out of view and on her way. He tilted his head up to the sky. It was a beautiful day for cloud watching. For the moment, he would take back control of his life. But the second she returned, he would surrender to her. That was the curse of the Nara men; however, as he remembered her scary beautiful smile, the curse didn't seem too bad.


	12. Call Me When You Get This

**Hey I know that it has been over a week since I uploaded anything. I've been quite busy. Anyways, this piece is based off of Corrine Bailey Rae's Call Me When You Get This. It is definitely the shortest songfic in this collection, but it was the hardest to get right. I loved the final product and I hope you do as well.**

**Sincerely,**

**Hot Mess 12**

* * *

**How does it feel being in these arms?**

**What's it really like to be loved?**

Temari woke up from her nightmare drenched in sweat. She quickly sat up in the bed that was slightly foreign to her. It was comfy and fit on every curve of her body. As she wiped the sweat off of her face with the back of her hand, she looked to her side.

She silently gasped to herself as she did a double take. She was in the same bed as Nara Shikamaru. She truly thought that what she experienced was a dream and that it couldn't be real.

It was Nara Shikamaru after all. He never put any effort into anything. She was not going to be an exception. That was simply a fact that she lived with.

Her stomach dropped as he flipped over and his arm landed on her leg. She smirked because looking at him now, she never would have guessed that he was a genius. It was awe inspiring.

She slinked back down into the bed. She laid her head gently back onto the pillow. His hand moved over her stomach and toward her side.

That was the closest thing to a hug she had gotten in a long time. She stirred in his bed for a few moments before realizing what she was in. It was the last situation she wanted to be in because she was better than it all. She was stronger than giving into it.

Unfortunately, she looked at him. His face was so poised and tranquil. It was a look she had never seen before, but it was one she truly enjoyed seeing.

She couldn't admit it to the outside world, but she'd have to admit it to herself. She was in love.

**I've been alone now, how long?**

**Have you ever loved the way that I have?**

She knew that this was a one night deal. The weather had been terrible, and there was no way she could possibly leave her in a storm like this. It escalated from there. It escalated so high that they were in the same bed by the end of it.

It was refreshing to have someone next to her at night. She was always alone when she was actually in a bed.

It was weird swimming through her memories with Shikamaru. He used to be so much shorter than she was. He also was not as lovable either. She shook her head. Lovable? Really. She was in much deeper than she originally thought.

**And I have often wondered who,who could love you the way I do?**

**Now I just want you to know, **

**How I'm touched deep in my soul just being with I need you more each day.**

**She** flipped onto her side and allowed his arm to tuck underneath her stomach. His presence was comforting. Though, she was worried. She had feelings for him, but if he didn't feel the same? Her heartbeat moved faster and she closed her eyes tightly in hopes of drifting off somehow. That seemed nearly impossible now. Her head was racing with questions that she needed answered. He rustled in his sleep as she miserably opened her eyes. She wanted to scream out in frustration.

She quickly raced through the night she had just had. He was too good for that to be a first time. So logically there were others which was so not what she had wished for. Though, as she slowly drifted off, she was as content as she could ever be. Tonight he was with her and that was all that really mattered.

She cared about him. Unfortunately, she couldn't figure out if the genius beside her felt the same way.

**Baby, if you're still awake, **

**Call me when you get this**

She drifted into a deep sleep blackening the world around her. She tried to call to him, but she had called his name that night already. She soon forgot the idea. It was not worth screwing her sleep up for.

(Shikamaru)

**I've got all this poetry now I didn't know then.**

**I kept inside **

**Guess I had never seen anything beautiful **

**till I first saw you asleep at night.**

The morning light hit Shikamaru's face like a violent punch he had been excepting the second he was in his bed with her last night. He looked to his left to find a sun-kissed beauty next to him. She looked so unlike herself at this moment. Shikamaru decided to cherish the brief moment.

He knew all of this couldn't last. It never would last with her. She would travel away from him in a couple of days, and this thing between them would die with every step she took away from him.

He gripped a string of hair with his fingers and felt it between the spaces between them. They were silky yet rough. He smirked because he knew that it was a contradiction that only Temari could pull off.

That was a reason he cared so much. She was everything that people couldn't be or someone that no one would dare try to be. It was almost poetic inside his brain.

He rubbed his eyes with his free hand and sighed. She was stunning, and this would end the second she woke up. It was nothing but the equivalent of a dream.

Granted, it was going to be his most vivid dream. His smirk grew into a wide smile.

**And I have often wondered who,**

**Who could love you the way I do?**

It had been his first time last night. He just hoped that he was at least decent. Her curves were absolutely mind-blowing, and he couldn't stop thinking about her.

There was only one reason for the flourishing feelings that built inside his stomach. If he didn't care about her, it wouldn't have meant anything to him. If she was someone off the street, it would be quick and unremarkably painful to his mind. But she wasn't anything more than Temari. She was nothing less than extraordinary.

He sighed again as he looked at his ceiling with a light grip on her smooth hairs. He was in love with someone he couldn't be with.

He shuttered at the thought of her having someone in Suna. She should be his, but it didn't take a genius to see that that was nearly impossible to pull off.

**Now I just want you to know, **

**How I'm touched deep in my soul**

**Just being with I need you more each day**.

It was going to hurt more this time. He had impressed at how silently she slept in a relatively new place. She had been in this room before, but only for a brief time.

He paused as she stirred closer to his chest Her hand landed against his chest near his heart. It was beating fast because he wasn't sure what to do.

That was the first time in a long time that he had no clue what to do. He could always make back up plans for his back up plans, but she messed up his emotions with his logic. That was why he was in this situation in the first place.

She kissed him first. It was her fault. She knew he had feelings and played on those instincts of her.

Though, as he looked down at her now, he couldn't be mad. He was going to enjoy the remainder of the time he had with her in his arms. He hated to admit it, but he had fallen in love with the worst person to fall in love with.

**Baby, if you're still awake,**

**Call me when you get this**

He slowly whispered in her ear. "I know you won't hear this, but I love you. You probably think last night was nothing, but it was everything. You would never know it but I do care."

**I just wanted to know what it was like,**

** what's it really like to be loved?**

**These little volcanoes came as a surprise to me. **

Temari quickly retorted back. "Just give up the act. You don't care about anything. You're too much of a lazy ass to care."

She loved the thought that he cared but not the fact that she did. What really did he mean by love anyways?

But the feelings welled up in her stomach. Her heart raced as she pushed herself up to look out the window. Shikamaru smirked. "You know, troublesome, sometimes, you can be beautiful."She froze. She was naked and quickly pulled the covers over herself.

**I never thought I could be this I have been cautious and I've tried to keep to myself, **

**but who could love you the way I do?**

Shikamaru laughed like he hadn't in a long time. "It's a little late for that."

She stared him down, but as she saw him smile and laugh, she began to do the same. She hadn't done so in a long time and it was a foreign concept.

However, he brought the parts of her out that only he could see. That only he wanted to see.

She leaned down into his face and pecked his cheek. She approached his ear and whispered. "I love you too even though I'll never show it." And just like that, she jolted down next to him. "But I'm going back to sleep. I don't have plans, and now, nether do you."

**Now I just want you to know, **

**How I'm touched deep in my being with much more each day,**

**Baby, if you're still awake, **

**Call me when you get this**

"This might be better than cloud-watching."

She smirked as she laid hard against his body. "That's the spirit."

They drifted in harmony into sleep. Side by side, they knew it was not a one night stand, and they knew it never started out that way.

They called each other names in affection. And that was how they landed here in the first place.


	13. Teardrop

Thank you readers for all of the supportive reviews and requests you have given. :) This one is based off of the song Teardrop by Massive Attack. Enjoy and I love any feedback you guys give. :)  
Sincerely, Hot Mess 12

* * *

**Love, love is a verb**

**Love is a doing word**

Shikamaru sat slouched in the chair across from Temari. He was going through yet another application for the Chunnin exams. This procedure was extremely tedious and annoying.

However, Shikamaru wasn't complaining because he got to look up at her then continue. Suddenly, Shikamaru stopped moving his pen and sighed.

Temari took notice. "Is something wrong with that application or something?" She was in a cynical mood, and yet, Shikamaru was not complaining and was working diligently.

It was a new feat for him, and it seemed a little strange to Temari. Even so, she was not going to complain about his suspicious behavior because the work she had to do was now split in half.

Shikamaru just shook his head and continued analyzing the sheets of paper in front of him. "It's not that. Well, it's just." He rubbed the back of his neck intensely. "I have a question."

Temari quickly glanced up. Shikamaru never asked her any questions. Well, unless he already knew the answer and was just testing her. So, Temari, once again, took this request lightly. "Wow, the supposed genius has a question for me. Well, spit it out. We still have work to do." She returned her glance back down to her stack of applications.

Shikamaru shook his head. "What is your definition of love?" He went back to his papers. "My mom wanted to know."Temari just laughed. "Are you sure about that?" She hadn't laughed at something like that in a long time. "Love is both a verb and a noun, so the definition really is skewed. But love is an experience that messes with her emotions. It causes your rational thinking to disappear."

**Feathers on my breath**

**Gentle impulsion**

**Shakes me, makes me lighter**

**Feathers on my breath**

Shikamaru felt the tension in her voice. She didn't want to talk about a subject like that. She was just going back to the paperwork. That was what he got for listening to his mother. He just wanted to know if she liked him; now, she was going to act like the question was never asked. Typical Temari move. When she didn't like something that she had been asked, she would simply ignore it. It was one of the only predictable traits she had. It also was one of her only tails.

And yet, when she did eventually speak again, all Shikamaru could feel was a light airiness around the words. "Do you want to call it a night? We can finish this up tomorrow. One more day won't hurt us."

Shikamaru put down the application in his hand. Temari was not the kind of person to put things off even for a night.

He stared at her for a moment. She looked exhausted. Her eyes were barely even open. Worst of all, her hands were a bit shaky. Her sleep deprivation was surely starting to show.

The last thing Temari could remember was hearing Shikamaru ask her if she was alright.

His words were as light as feathers falling to the ground from the sky.

**Teardrop on the fireFeathers on my breath**She wouldn't wake up. She had gone into a coma. He could tell by her light breathing. Her breathing that was as light as feathers.

It was frustrating him deeply when he had told her earlier that day to stop this madness. He told her it was going to catch up to her.

He didn't think it would happen like this though. And especially not when it was just the two of them.

It was now his responsibility to help her. So, naturally, he was once again in a position that he wasn't exactly sure what to do. That always seemed to be the case with her around.

And still, her breathing was as light as feathers. That was starting to scare him a little.

**In the night of matter**

**Black flowers blossom**

**Feathers on my breath**

**Black flowers blossom**

**Feathers on my breath**

He quickly picked her up bridal style and hoisted her into his arms. She was so pretty unconscious. Even so, to Shikamaru, she was still so troublesome. It was incredible to think that the blossom could be difficult even while it sleeping. Even was grim for Shikamaru. Her typical nature was gone, and an errie presence aroused. It was a black grim that filled the air. It was a subtle but pounding feeling that filled his chest. What if she never blossomed again? Then his breath was as light as feathers.

**Teardrop on the fire**

**Feathers on my breath**

He carried her to the only sure fire place she would be safe and could recover: the Nara household. It was surrounded by the shadows of darkness and two people who could use it to their advantage.

The path was longer than he remembered it being. He had walked down in so many times before, but this time was felt with so much pressure. His feet fell heavy. Temari turned closer to his chest, and for a split second, he lost his breath. Her movement meant she was still breathing. It wasn't that he necessarily thought she was going to die because she passed out from exhaustion, but it wasn't such an impossible feat. It happened to the best of people. So, he took great care in trying to keep her comfortably numb.

Her breath was nevertheless shaky and light. It was as light as feathers.

**Water is my eye**

**Most faithful my love**

He reached his home eventually to find his mother standing outside. She'd probably been looking at him since he came into view. Yoshino looked at the girl as Shikamaru approached the home's threshold. "Shikamaru, put her on the couch. I'll boil some hot water." Shikamaru simply did as he was told. He passed Shikaku as he slowly passed by the kitchen. He paid little mind to it. He'd seen more interesting things in his years. He had made that apparent to Shikamaru over the years.

He laid her on the couch slowly and precisely. He stood over her for a few seconds before hearing Yoshino entering the living room.

The water splashed onto her face easily. It looked weird to see Temari in such a feeble and unprotected state. She was so strong, and yet, she looked so delicate.

Shikamaru bent down to her level and wiped the water off from under her eyes. Shikaku put his hand on his son's shoulder. "We always pick the difficult ones."

Shikamaru simply sighed. "I guess."

**Feathers on my breath**

**Teardrop on the fire of a confession**

Temari woke up in the living room by morning. She looked observantly around the room to spot Shikamaru dozing in the chair across from her. She smiled lightly. She figured he actually gave effort to get her here. She picked up the magazine close to the couch and tossed it toward his head. It hit with just enough force to wake him up.

Shikamaru jolted upright only to find Temari giggling underneath her breath. He gave out a sigh of relief.

"Lazy, you should learn to sleep at the right times." She showed her pearly whites to him. That was an indication that she was in a good mood. It was another one of her tails.

Shikamaru simply smirked. "I could say the same thing back to you."

**Feathers on my breath**

**Most faithful my love**

**Feathers on my breath**

Her breath went light again. It was not a typical feeling for her. It was the skip of a heartbeat.

Shikamaru was at her side in seconds. "Don't faint again over a stupid comment again."It was a demand not a request. She was never so willing to oblige by a demand either.

She laid her head against a propped pillow that Shikamaru had placed there while she was sleeping. Or at least she hoped he had and not his mother. "You asked me earlier what my definition of love was. Do you remember that?"Shikamaru nodded slowly. "You don't need to really answer that now. It doesn't really matter anyways. It was just supposed to pass the time."Temari closed her eyes and sighed happily. "I knew you'd say that. I'm going to answer it anyways. Love is an emotion that can only be felt when someone cares. It happens when you least expect it, and it doesn't show itself so obviously sometimes. It requires patience and time. That's what love is."His breath went shallow and light like feathers. The definition defined the situation he was currently in to the tee.

Temari knew that as well.

**Teardrop on the fire**

**Feathers on my breath**

Shikamaru turned away from her. "I'll bring the applications here to work on them. I know you are just dying to get them done." His sarcastic tone only brought Temari to a seated position.

He stopped walking after he pushed his hands in his pockets. "Just relax."

Temari refused to lie back down even though her breathing was hard to maintain. "You must not know me very well then, lazy."

**You're stumbling a little**

**You're stumbling a little**

She stood up and began to walk toward him. She stumbled along as she did so. Shikamaru walked back to her careful to watch her every step. Temari fell into his arms when her legs gave out. She looked up at him hopelessly. Shikamaru pulled her to her feet lightly. "Like I said, just relax."

Temari smiled vibrantly up at him. "Like I said, you must not know me."Shikamaru shook his head. "Fine, just don't wear yourself out." He looked down at her and couldn't help but smirk. "I don't want to give that much effort for you again."

Temari leaned up toward him and whispered in his ear. "Too bad. I could get used to that." She pecked his cheek and once again, passed out in his arms.


	14. The Importance of Being Idle Oasis

**I sold my soul for the second time**

**'Cause the man don't pay me**

**I begged my landlord for some more time,**

**He said "Son, the bills are waiting"**

The worst feeling in the world is loneliness. First, it was his sensei. Then, it was his best friend. And after that, it was her. Now, his parents were kicking me out.

It wasn't like Shikamaru wasn't contributing to the family's income. He had done several higher ranked missions to give most of it back to his parents.

Hw knew that he was lazy; actually, anyone could tell you Shikamaru was lazy, but that gave them no rational explanation as to why they decided to pull this stunt.

That was the most troublesome part of it all. Unless they knew it was going to help him.

**My best friend called me the other night,**

**He said "Man, are you crazy?"**

**My girlfriend told me to get a life,**

**She said "Boy, you lazy"**

Choji called him that night to say that Shikamaru's lazy ass needed some motivation, and to find it, they needed to go out and talk. When Choji normally says "go out", Shikamaru could already visualize his wallet shrinking in size. They will always head to an barbeque restaurant, Choji's favorite, and Choji will eat and talk while Shikamaru would mumble something every now and then.

But this time was apparently different. They walked past the restaurants and towards a familiar place to both of them: their sensei's grave. Choji simply sat down resting against the grave marker. "You know the two of you were always the craziest ones."

A small grin spread to the corner of Shikamaru's lips. "Yeah, I know. But that's why we completed so many missions together. Two crazy people are better than none."

He looked down at Choji and instantly knew about his grim expression that that was not what he had meant at all. Choji had been referring to another aspect of their lives. He was referring to the relationships they both had. They were pretty much in secret.

Shikamaru could remember that she left that morning, and he then wanted to be a Jounin. She knew him all too well. She knew he was too smart for his own good.

Temari was the one person that could see behind the barriers he set up and then viciously knock them down. She knew the emotional torment he was going through because she experienced similar situations. But she also wasn't going to be his girlfriend or at least not publicly.

Shikamaru was too lazy. He was everything she knew that she should avoid. And yet, here they were connected to each other somehow.

Choji stared down at the ground. "Why did you both decide to keep it quiet? Is it about monkey see, monkey do?" He stuttered over the last lines as if saying them would put a curse on Konoha. "Because, you shouldn't. You'll end up here too that way."

Shikamaru sat down next to him. He had been kicked out of my house for no real reason at all other than his naturally inherited traits. Shikamaru had absolutely no place to go.

**But I don't mind**

**As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine**

**I'll be fine, if you give me a minute, a man's got a limit,**

**I can't get a life if my heart's not in it, he-heah**

He used to give up. He used to forfeit. He used to think this is going to be easy; however, now as he sat next to my best friend underneath a perfect night sky, he know that it never really was. And it never really will be. He want to fight for what he believed in now. His sensei's death was a blessing in disguise. It made the three of his students grow up. They had to change their way of thinking. They had to go on with life, and they had to know that without heart and hard work, they were useless. So, tonight, Shikamaru was sleeping around the sky.

**I don't mind**

**As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine**

**I'll be fine, give me a minute, a man's got a limit,**

**I can't get a life if my heart's not in it, he-heah**

Shikamaru looked up at the night sky to see the clouds shift in front of the full moon. He looked over at Choji who had just passed out. He just sighed. It was a perfect night, but his night was far from perfect. Everyone was gone. Even though Choji was right beside him, he was out.

"Wow, you are as lazy as ever."That voice was as beautiful as it was scary. And the scariest part about it all was that Shikamaru wanted to hear the tone of her voice more than anything.

He had reached his limit with the peace and quiet that seemed to surround him tonight.

Shikamaru turned to look at her. She stood there leaning against her huge fan. She was always good at using it to prop herself up. She simply smiled down at him. Her smile shined as the clouds moved to reveal the moon.

That was the most ironic thing Shikamaru had ever seen in his entire life. Temari leaned her head to motion him up to the hill overseeing the tombs. She quickly placed the fan onto her back and headed in the motioned direction. She didn't look back to see if Shikamaru was following.

She didn't have to.

**I lost my faith in the summer time**

**'Cause it don't stop raining**

**The sky all day is as black as night**

**But I'm not complaining**

Shikamaru trotted not far behind her. He knew that they were headed to the one place they actually said anything remotely nice to each other. They were not actually the most sensitive people in this world, but they had their moments. And those moments were almost always with each other.

The hill was surrounded by trees, and Temari sat down in between two of them. Shikamaru just shook his head. Those two trees were the ones that he used to sit beneath with Asuma. Of course, she had to have known about the situation, but he didn't think that she would say anything about it.

Like he knew, they weren't the most sensitive people on the planet, and they didn't like talking about their feelings.

"Crybaby, sit down already." Temari was also not the most patient person in the world either. Shikamaru simply did as she wished. There was no reason to fight with her over something as simple as sitting next to her.

Shikamaru laid down next to her slowly. He closed his eyes. He knew what was coming. She was going to ask a question about it. "Shikamaru, you really are something else."

Shikamaru's heavy eyelids opened and looked in her direction. She was unpredictable. "Oh, really? Why do you say that?"

She looked up at the trees and the moon light hit her face just right. It made her more beautiful than ever. "Because you can keep a hold on your emotions. I mean, it can't be easy. I can't do it."

Shikamaru just sat up and looked at her. "You've done it perfectly well so far. Not many people can convert their sadness into violence."

That earned him a slap on the shoulder. It was not as hard as he normally got it. He thought he was lucky for that.

Temari crossed her arms. "I take offense to that."

Shikamaru shook his head as he felt his growing bruise from her blow. "I figured that out." He looked down at his friend against the tomb. "But I'm right and you know it."He sighed and laid back down.

Temari kept her view above in the trees. And just that, the rain fell.

And it fell hard. Shikamaru just smiled as he stood up and offered his hand to Temari. She just looked up into his eyes as she gripped his hand.

Normally, she would have stood up by herself, but Shikamaru was different. She still didn't know why.

As the rain poured harder, Temari put her fan over her to use as an umbrella. Shikamaru simply walked alongside her. Unfortunately, only one could fit underneath the fan. As they approached her temporary residence, Shikamaru could feel himself headed to the ground. Then, there was nothing but black.

**I begged my doctor for one more line****,**

**He says "Son, words fail me"**

**It ain't no place to be killing time,**

**I guess I'm just lazy**

Shikamaru woke up in a sterile hospital room. Temari sat in a chair across from his bed. She had passed out. But as there was a knock on the door, she quickly sat up and straightened herself up. "Well, how is he?"

The doctor scratched his head. "Honestly, nothing's wrong. He simply passed out."

"That can't be true. He's a shinobi! Something has to be wrong!" She gripped the doctor's coat tightly.

Shikamaru just sighed. "He would know if something was wrong. There's no reason to hurt him for doing his job, Temari."

She turned her head abruptly in his direction as loosened her grip. "Fine, but I swear if you do that again, you are dead, crybaby!"

Shikamaru just smirked. "So you do care."

**I don't mind**

**As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine**

**I'll be fine, give me a minute, a man's got a limit,**

**I can't get a life if my heart's not in it, he-heah**

A few hours later, he was dismissed from the hospital, and they walked through the streets in silence. Shikamaru looked up at the sky. It was clear of clouds. He internally cussed at the day.

Temari turned toward him and stopped walking. "Shikamaru…"

Shikamaru looked back at her after a couple more steps. He placed his pockets in his pockets. "Yes, troublesome."

Temari looked him in the eyes. "Don't do that again." She hit him on the shoulder once again and continued walking.

And just like that, his world turned around.


	15. Bounce

**Hey guys! ****I'm sorry it has taken so long for me to make an update on the Shuffle Project. :/ At least I finally made a chapter, and because I put it off and studied for my Chemistry class, I now have a solid 99.01 in the course. I'll try to make an update soon, and thank you for all of the views I have gotten since I have been gone. I'm glad to see that people are reading my work. As always, reviews (both good and bad) are more than welcome. I'M BACK! :) Enjoy this fanfiction based on the song Bounce by The Cab -Hot Mess 12**

**Warning: This songfic starts out in alternating first person and then shifts into third person. It was the only way I saw this song done. Oh, and it contains mild sexual content. Nothing too intense though. ENJOY!**

* * *

**The lips that slip **

**Are the lips that press**

**And the lips that leak seem to know you best**

It is weird how you can deny your feelings for so long that they are the only things you think about. It was weird how when you learned that she feels the same way you act differently around her. We were best friends in a strange sort of way. I was closer to her than almost everyone, and I was the only true friend Temari had ever had. I told her more than even my childhood best friends knew.

And yet, we both barely spoke to each other during this recent stay of hers. Why was it suddenly awkward? She entered her hotel as if I meant nothing anymore. That sort of reaction stings even for someone as lazy as me.

So, what am I supposed to do? Run after her. I refuse to do anything irrational. I'll do what I always do: stick my hands in my pockets and walk home slowly. Why was life so complicated?

It was just a kiss last time. That's all there was ever going to be. We both weren't going any further. That would threaten too much, and we both had that understanding.

Though I can't help but smile every time I think about it. Her lips were so contradicting of everything she was. She was hardened, but her sweet lips were silky and smooth. I can only compare it to the feeling of jumping into a bed with clean sheets and taking in the sensation.

In an odd way, though, her kiss let me into somewhere under her harsh and brutal exterior. It was somewhere I knew existed, but I had never seen. She opened up to me completely. She trusted me.

Ironically, I trusted her too. Why must everything in my life be so very troublesome?

**I put bodies in the motion **

**Keep this skin out in the open**

**Liars turn me on**

The worst thing about kissing him was that I knew I wasn't going any further. I mean, he wouldn't dare try anything on me because I was the type of girl that would make him regret making one step in the wrong direction.

I just wish that sometimes that would fade. That maybe I could be someone that could have a family. Suna's flower wasn't as strong as people thought. I built barriers to see who would break them down brick by brick. In the process, I fell in love with him. I developed feelings, and they aren't fading. They won't fade especially after that kiss. There was a connection between us. Honestly, anyone could tell you that. It was one of those weird things that couldn't be explained. I mean, of all the guys, it was the laziest one that was polar opposite of me.

I know what he's doing right now. He's slowly trotting off with his hands in his pockets, wondering why. If I looked out my window, I could see him. But I refuse to be any more irrational than this whole situation already offered.

I remember feeling the uncovered part of the back of his neck when I pushed my lips hard against his. I wanted to know how it felt. I wanted something that I knew I could never really have. I wanted him.

I'd lie and say that I would never want him even if there was no other option in the world. Guess I jinxed myself on that one.

Speaking of lying, we have it done ever since. We have acted like nothing changed. Even to a hard ass, that stings. But I guess if he's a liar then liars turn me on.

**Bed spread bandit since '89**

**You wear your heart on your sleeve**

**And I threw mine to the sky**

I could look back and probably find her looking out her window to see me walk off. She always did that. At first, I thought it was creepy. As time goes on though, you learn about people and their habits. She never wants me to leave. She'll never admit that fact to anyone but herself. Yet, give me credit. I'm technically a genius.

You know people in Konoha are so diverse in every unique aspect, but they all have their flaws. And somehow, Ino's was always gossip. She spread rumors like a wild fire spreads. And one was that I was a chick magnet.

As she put it, "Shikamaru, you are bed spread bandit."

I remember that Temari just laughed her typical harsh heart-filled laugh. I was slightly relieved. She didn't believe a word of it. I guess that's how she knew that I was lying about not having those feelings.

I guess that's why when she kissed me that night under the starry sky, I could feel her heart. As I touched her arm, I felt that heart of hers that she buried so deep down inside. And as I felt her heart on her sleeve, I threw my heart in the air, hoping she would catch it.

And she might have, but I am not sure. For once, I'm clueless.

**Bounce bounce baby, **

**Bounce back to me (You don't need this)**

**Bounce bounce baby, **

**Bounce back to me (You don't need this)**

I wish I could go back to him, but I can't. It's just not possible. I am too stubborn to ever go back. I'm too hard-headed to admit my feelings to anyone. Even if that means that I miss out on something incredible. Or really, it could just be nothing.

I want to go back to him. To say I care about him. To let him know the truth.

And that is the way it always will be. I just have to keep telling myself that I don't need this even if that's exactly what I do need. Those thoughts, even though they aren't said out loud, leave a bad taste in my mouth. I can't believe that this time around, I can't shake something off. Guess that's how Shikamaru felt that day in the hospital. Guess we both need more emotional training than we were giving. I smile every time I think about Shikamaru in a classroom. He'd probably look out the window all class, and when asked a question, he'd ultimately know every small insignificant detail of what he'd been asked. And those are the things about him that makes me want to go back to him so much. It's the little things that I crave, and it's the little things that make me need this.

**This is it, **

**Call it quits with honesty (You don't need this)**

**Every word is a curse let loose on me**

**Your mouth it moves but fails to speak**

**And when you use your lips they better be on me**

If it were any other woman, I wouldn't turn back. If it were any other woman, I would have kept walking. If it were any other woman, I would forget. But she apparently isn't any other woman.

It feels weird knowing that I may be walking towards my doom. And yet, even more so, I've accepted that. I have knocked on plenty of doors in my lifetime and for plenty of different scenarios, but this felt like a suicide mission. I am good at reading emotions in battle, but when it came to Temari, I was never quite sure.

When you turn around and walk back to some place you've been, it is normally because you forgot something. In my case, I forgot to tell her something I've been trying to build toward saying, but I could never find the right time to say.

I could already see her response. Her mouth would crack and no words would follow. That would be my time to strike. I needed to know if this feeling was permanent. I needed to kiss her one last she wanted to continue.

**The lies that tied your tongue in knots**

**Are the words that grew to hit my spots**

**So filthy, Dialed desire**

**Swallowed pride but spit out fire**

**Liars turn me on**

Temari looked down at the street puzzled. Shikamaru seemed so rash even from up in her bedroom. It was a side of him she had never seen before. Shikamaru was the type of person that thought things out up until the last detail was calculated and perfected. It was no wonder how he beat her the time they fought at the chunnin exams. She kept her view on him until he slipped behind the building. His demeanor was definitely not the same as when he left. She gripped tightly to the curtain as she realized that she had, in fact, seen this side of him one time before. When they kissed, there was a trace of it.

She could lie to herself and act like nothing was wrong with her situation. She was standing with her hands going numb and her feet going cold. Her heart was racing from a type of adrenaline that she wished was not familiar to her. She could not dent it. She was attracted to him. She was attracted to a lazy genius.

The knock that came next echoed through the room. It shook what little confidence she had left that he was taking a different route home. That knock was too familiar to her to not be his.

She tried to move her feet as she normally would, but they only shuffled along the ground violently.. Her heart sank as she looked through the peep hole to see her guide standing firm behind the lock.

Then he started talking, and her heart was on the floor. "I know you're right there, Temari." She realized that her body was under his control as she looked down at the floor to see the shadow that she had made under the door. She internally cussed at herself for being so careless, but when she looked back at every time they encountered each other, she always was. She hated herself for that, but it was all based on her impulses. She cared about him more than she was willing to admit, and as the door knob turned to let him inside, she was not intimidated or frightened by her heightened attraction to him. It couldn't be helped, and fighting it off was too troublesome for her. "I hate it when you do that. You could've asked!" She was never good at showing her affection so she did what she always did: lash out in anger. Shikamaru let her free from his shadow's grip and watched as she grew closer and closer to him which he thought was going to result in a slap to the face. But her fowl attitude showed no resolution as she cupped his face in her hand and pulled him slowly closer to him. At that moment, Shikamaru blushed harder than he thought was possible for him.

Her filthy lips tasted so sweet and so full of passion. His desire for her grew as the seconds passed. She was not letting up. She was not backing out. She was in control, and for once, Shikamaru truly was enjoying it.

Both of their self-righteous pride faded as they headed for the nearest thing to lay on which happened to be her bed. Their lies about their feelings didn't matter anymore. They were already too engulfed in each other's grasp that there was no way to turn back. There was no escaping the chemistry and utter attraction they felt toward each other. And as the kissing kept blooming into someone more, they would never be liars again.

**Bed spread bandit since '89**

**You wear your heart on your sleeve**

**And threw mine to the sky**

She woke up first the next morning to find herself in unfamiliar territory: a man's arms. She normally would have screamed or cursed, but she saw who it was. It was someone who had been there at every turn when she came to Konoha. Someone she had try to deny feelings for, but even at her most stubborn, she never could. As the years passed, he broke down every wall she put up.

At first, it was annoying and irritating. That is until it started to dawn on her that he had cares in this world, and that the crybaby was her match and equal. No one was her equal. It just was not possible.

Her heart was surrounded by a thick wall that was thicker than Gaara's sand. It was unbreakable shell that somehow was broken by a lazy bum that was her intellectual equal. Her heart was on her sleeve that morning, and as Shikamaru stirred, he pushed her closer to him.

He woke up keeping his eyes closed. "You can't take last night back, Temari." He turned his head and finally opened his eyes to see why she was called Suna's princess. Her wavy sandy blond hair caressed her shoulders and her eyes were shining in a way he had only seen on the battlefield. His heart was officially taken away from him violently. It was now floating on air, hoping that Temari was reaching for it.

**Bounce bounce baby, ****Bounce back to me (You don't need this)**

**Bounce bounce baby, Bounce back to me (You don't need this)**

**This is it, **

**Call it quits with honesty (You don't need this)**

**Every word is a curse let loose on me**

**Your mouth it moves but fails to speak**

**And when you use your lips they better be on me**

"I wouldn't dream of it, crybaby." Her smile spread quickly across her face, and she made no effort to hide it. What point was there in doing so?

Honesty was the only thing that they hadn't tried yet. That was until the night before. The sparks flew because of the lies and denial about the feelings flowing between them. The cursing that was a normal occurrence between them left for a night, and the truth was the dominating factor in their relationship.

She sat up in bed to roll on top of him accidentally leaving her mouth cracked. He smirked as he pushed the back of her neck towards him and passionately kissed her daunting sweet lips.

He never wanted this moment to fade, but in the back of his head, he knew the bliss would never last. She was too troublesome for that.

**Bounce bounce, baby (Bounce bounce, baby)**

**Bounce bounce, baby (Bounce bounce, baby)**

**So filthy, Dialed desire**

**Swallowed pride but spit out fire**

**Liars turn me on**

There was passion between them that they would turn into desire when they got dressed when they rolled out of bed. Shikamaru held onto her back tightly as he felt skin that was silky smooth.

It was filthy and dirty, but they made it more meaningful to both of them because clean would never excite them. Pride would return, but for now, they were in each other' arm, and the lies did not have to flow from their lips.

**Bounce Bounce baby, Bounce back to me (You don't need this)**

**Bounce bounce baby, Bounce back to me (You don't need this)**

**This is it, **

**Call it quits with honesty (You don't need this)**

**Every word is a curse let loose on me**

**Your mouth it moves but fails to speak**

**And when you use your lips they better be on me**

They looked at each other for a few seconds after their kiss was released. They both smirked as they tried to avoid what was the inevitable. This wasn't going to be a one-night stand. It was going to lead to something that their stubbornness tried to make them avoid.

Their relationship was developing and blossoming into something more, and they did not hinder in reaching for the next level.

They couldn't speak after they came up for air from the kiss, but their eyes told the story. They showed the passion, and through that, the love shown.

And as Temari layed her head down underneath his chin, he could almost hear his father speak the words that had echoed in his head since he came into the apartment: "No matter how strong-minded a woman is, she will be tender to the man she loves."


	16. Stand Tall

Hello again. This is a short songfic based off of the song "Stand Tall" by The Dirty Heads.

* * *

**Say what you say I just sail away,**

**She cant stand me but I miss her face,**

**I feel like drowning, but the tides too low**

**And now I'm waiting for the undertow **

Shikamaru looked out into the ocean, not sure of what his next move was going to be. He could not swim fantastically, so no one would really question his true intentions. They would think it was an accident. They would never believe that one of the most intelligent shinobi in Konoha had committed suicide.

It was her fault. This craziness and depression was all of her fault. They never would have anything between them, and the last time she visited the village, she made completely clear. She said it as if he meant nothing to her. She said it in a way that made him cringe which was something he rarely did.

She said it in a way that said she couldn't stand him. If it was anyone else, he could take that fact as if it were no big deal, and walk away from the person with no emotional bruising. But after she left, he started to miss her face, and the smile that was too complex to even discuss.

The tide was low. It was too low. There was no way to be pulled into the current into the ocean. If anyone saw him blatantly walk in, they'd stop him and save him. He knew he didn't want to be saved. He was too logical for all of this.

A shinobi was never supposed to have feelings. She had said that before, but he figured that he could change all of that eventually. That's what got to him. He was a tactical genius, and yet, he couldn't change her mind. And that made everything he had thought to be true, absolutely wrong.

All Shikamaru could do was wait. Wait for a sign, any sign. He wanted to want something again. He wanted to feel some emotion that didn't involve pain. He wanted her to want him.

So he waited for the undertow to drag him into the depths of the ocean. Slowly, the current picked up under his feet and led his body into the salted body of water. His thoughts wandered back to her, and as he took his last breath before going underneath the water helping him reach his demise, he couldn't help but wonder if she'd actually miss him. Or if she'd just walk away from the news.

**So.. Stand tall It gets a little better,**

**I see the water we can break down together,**

**Stand strong **

**It gets a little better now,**

**(we can break it down, we can break it)**

Temari sighed as she raced into the ocean, searching for his lazy self. She figured that there was no better way to spend her time. She reached out for his hand that was drifting on the top of the water, as if a sign to Temari. She couldn't help but wonder what had led Shikamaru to such an irrational decision. Didn't he know that she cared about him?

She couldn't help it really when she thought about it. Everything she tried to stay away from him never worked. The world seemed to gravitate them toward each other even if they were not looking forward to it. There was always something about him that she couldn't explain. Some fatal attraction toward him made her race after him into the ocean. She gripped his hand tightly as she lifted his hand up from underneath the water. She coughed up some of the water in his throat. She smiled as he had breathing patterns. He wasn't dead, and his irrational behavior wasn't going to have an everlasting effect on the people that actually cared about him. She couldn't help but think that she might love him, but she took the thought back. She had to be the rational one in the relationship.

She stood up tall as she walked out of the water, carrying him on her back. He wasn't as heavy as he looked.

She needed to break down this situation. She couldn't understand why a genius would do such a thing; however, as she laid Shikamaru against a tree, she realized that he truly was fine. Her day was going to get easy, but her day did get just a little bit better.

**Life can only take so much,**

**Depression ain't gonna pressure us,**

**Oh, they came to watch us fall,**

**Oh yes, they came to watch us fall,**

**We will rise up against them all,**

Shikamaru awoke slowly. It was some sort of sign that he was alive. Then his eyes focused to see her back turned to him. It was such a lovely back.

She turned around to see him looking at her. "I guess your lazy ass decided to want my help again."Shikamaru only smirked. "I guess you're right."

His depression blinded him from the facts which was something he never ignored. Facts were the key factor in being a great shinobi and an even greater strategist. She did care.

Temari looked curiously at Shikamaru's face. There was a deep cut on it, and the blood was slowly trickling down his face. She laughed as she bent down to wipe it off with a torn piece of her clothing. She didn't need a sleeve anyway. "Crybaby, you can do some of the dumbest things for being such a genius. How did you manage that?"Her laugh was so inviting, but the smile was the factor that pulled his smirk into a small smile. "I'm not sure, troublesome." As she smoothed the blood off his face, he gripped tightly to her wrist, pulling her closer to his face. Even closer to his lips.

Everyone said that he was going to fail with his attitude, but Temari knew better. She was smarter than everyone else that knew Shikamaru. She knew that he was going to be someone. She knew that he would rise up against the odds, but he couldn't do that when he was at the bottom of the ocean.

So.. Stand tall

It gets a little better,I see the water we can break down together,Stand strong It gets a little better now,(we can break it down, we can break it)

Shikamaru pulled his face forward to reach hers as she tilted her head to make the kiss doable. There was a moment that the sparks inside both of them exploded wildly. He leaned back on the tree as he attempted to stand up tall against its trunk. He was successful in doing so.

He never saw the punch that Temari landed to his stomach. He felt noxious as he felt his stomach go from utter bliss to absolute pain. "Don't ever pull a stunt like that on me! I decide everything in this relationship!" She glared at him with a deathly cold.

Shikamaru smirked as he met her deadly glare. "So there is a relationship between us then?" Her response was all he needed. Her cheeks burned bright red, and she knew she had met her match. That was the reason why she liked him in the first place.

They were a team whether they were going to admit it or not.

**Sing my song gonna sing it proud**

**No ones gonna bring me down**

**You stand us stong and hold my crown**

**Tell me what are we fighting for**

**Change to do we done before**

**Tell me what are we fighting for (yeah yeah yeah)**

Temari tried to move, but she knew there was no use. He controlled her now. Her power was gone, and she had to admit that she was not completely furious about it. There was no use in fighting it anymore. Her feelings for him were strong, and he knew that now.

She did her fighting already, and there was no use for it now. He moved closer toward her and vice versa. It was like the chunnin exams, but this time around there was passion shared between them. There was sexual tension building, and as he released the jutsu, she found herself gripping the back of his neck tightly and pressing her lips hard against his.

No one could bring her down from this moment, and as Shikamaru peeked his eyes to see her eyes closed, he had conquered his own personal S-ranked mission: her heart.

He fought for her and won.

**So.. Stand tall It gets a little better,**

**I see the water we can break down together,**

**Stand strong **

**It gets a little better now,**

**(we can break it down, we can break it)**

They both realized there was no changing the feelings as they kept the kiss for longer than they both knew they should have. They broke down each other's wall and then rebuilt them with a stronger steel.


	17. StarryEyed

Starry-eyed by Ellie Goulding

_Oh, oh, starry eyed _

_Hit, hit, hit, hit, hit me with lightning_

Temari wasn't the kind of person to fall for anyone's antics especially if it was a boy's antics. She was smarter than a lot of people realized. However, as she paced herself on her journey to Konoha, she sighed. She knew what was to come. She knew who would be waiting for her at the gates, as lazy as ever.

She could see herself getting emotionally attached to the Nara. She hated it. She could see their future together, and honestly, it scared her. She knew that she had no use in trying to deny it anymore. They were no longer children. They were Jounin, and now, they knew the consequences of their relations.

They had fallen in love without control over the situation. To both of them, it was a terrifying thought. Shikamaru wanted a simple life when Temari brought nothing but trouble. Temari wasn't planning on settling down to have a family when she knew that was exactly what she would end up doing with him.

It was frustrating for both of them, and yet, neither of them pulled away like sensible people would.

Temari saw him standing there as careless as he always was.

And it hit her lightning. These feelings would keep growing inside of her until the urge was too irresistible for her. She was considered for their livelihood as ninjas, but more so, their livelihood for their nations. She smiled politely much unlike how she greeted him on a normal basis.

There was a knot in Shikamaru's stomach as she smiled. It was a weird smile on her face that Shikamaru was not fond of. It didn't look quite right on her. It was a nervous smile that his father showed his mother a lot. Shikamaru shook that premise off. The two of them were nothing like his parents. They had no real future.

And then it hit him like lightning.

She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. He couldn't give up on the premise of being with her. She had to not completely hate him because she never had requested a change of guides throughout these years. They were older now, and he looked at her completely different. She was his equal.

_Handle bars, and then I let go, let go for anyone _

_Take me in, and throw out my heart and get a new_ _one _

There was something about the way the sun hit his face that made her cringe inside. His smile, how ever subtle it was, looked too similar to her. Whenever Shikamaru was battling in a fight mentally, he wore that smile. Temari shook the thought away. Why should she even care? It wasn't like she could help him knowingly anyways. She kept walking until they were only footsteps apart. She heard his steady breathing and slightly relaxed. Somehow he was the only person who had the effect on her. Still, she kept her guard up. With that false smile, there was no telling what could happen.

Shikamaru wasn't exactly sure what to do. The thoughts of her kept clouding his judgment. When did he finally grow up and like her? Even as a genius, he wasn't exactly sure. He simply sighed. "Is there ever a time when you'll actually be on time instead of early?"

Temari was witty, and she knew the perfect response to all of his questions. "Why would I do that? That would make your life so much easier." She laughed harshly without meaning to. Shikamaru simply sighed again. He saw through her fake façade. She didn't mean that laugh at all. She was trying to play it cool as if they were back in the chunnin exams again.

"You're right." He headed toward the Hokage's office slowly and sluggishly. They were early as always so there was no reason to rush or be in any hurry at all. As soon as the words hit his lips, he realized that they sounded completely wrong. He was a genius. He was almost always right, and he never admitted when he was wrong. Not since that day at the hospital. Not out loud to someone else at least.

_Next thing we're touching _

_You look at me it's like you hit me with lightning_

As he passed Temari, that's when it happened. He simply brushed her shoulder, but as soon as the contact arose, he cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Temari immediately noticed it, but she, for once, kept quiet. She felt a slight burning on her face, so it would be difficult to get away with making fun of him for it.

Then, she was hit like lightning again. He liked her too. Why else would he have blushed? Yet, he kept walking forward with her slightly lagging behind. That never happened. His stride was longer than Temari remembered it being. Then again, he seemed so much taller too.

There was an even more awkward silence between them after that. They walked in complete and total silence. They passed the popular streets of Konoha with everyone staring at them. Although they didn't constantly talk on their way to the Hokage's office, but they always were somehow chatting. Everyone saw their chemistry as more than just friendship, but Shikamaru and Temari ignored them all.

But today nothing could get them talking. Not even when Choji and Ino passed them. There was nothing more awkward than not talking to each other, and finally, Temari got tired of it. She let her temper get the best of her. She quickly slapped Shikamaru across the face as hard as she could. She was not amused by his silence; in fact, it pissed her off. "You won't even look at me! What the hell is wrong?" She tightly clenched her fingers into fists.

Shikamaru simply looked at her. "A conversation takes two people. If you wanted to talk to me, you could have." He smirked and continued walking as if the red spot on his face was a normal occurrence.

That look on his face forced Temari's body to stop in its tracks. He just took her abuse without complaining. It was almost as if it were some sort of sign. Shikamaru looked back again to see her standing frozen in the middle of the street. It was then that he remembered the last time she looked like that. It was years ago back in the chunnin exams. She was just as ill-tempered then as she was standing in front of him with her fists still clenched. There was nothing more beautiful than her in deserved silence.

"Are you coming or are you going to stand there?" He paused for a second. Then, he lightly smiled. "Crybaby."

_Oh, everybody's starry-eyed _

_And everybody glows _

_Oh, everybody's starry-eyed _

_And my body goes _

There was only thing that could make her smile the way she did. When he threw her insults back her way, she couldn't help it. He was that type of person that made her better. Even though she was a strong woman with the power of the wind backing her up, he made her stronger. The shadow complimented the wind. She found that ironic in so many ways. In the winter, the wind at night could freeze someone to death, but in the summer, it created a breeze that the daytime desperately needed. She grasped her fan lightly, trickling her fingers on its edges. She had used it in many battles, even one against him. However, she was in a different kind of battle with Shikamaru now. It was one that never would truly end.

She found it ironic that even without meaning to, he threw her words back in her face. Back when they first had to work as a team, she saw him cry. The words she said back then now echoed in the solitary state of her mind. _Didn't you go through emotional training?_

Now she was stuck in a battle of emotions she couldn't seem to control. She felt starry-eyed in a way that was so familiar and yet so new and refreshing. She wasn't about to explain why she followed him in the manner she did. She simply released her playful grip on her fan and strolled past Shikamaru with her head held higher than she knew it should be. She smiled her most fierce smile as she briefly looked back at him. "If you ever call me that again, I'll kill you." She continued on her way to the office as if she had won her internal war of feelings. In all reality, she knew she would lose the battle, but for the moment, she was going to appreciate her small victory.

Shikamaru just shook his head. The brazen woman always seemed to take his thunder. She was an intelligent match for him. She was the ultimate shoji game. He smiled as he watched her walk confidently down the street. When did she become a woman? When did they grow up? When did he develop a connection to the sand nin?

_So we burst into colors, colors and carousels, _

_Fall head first like paper planes in playground games_

The check-in at the Hokage's office took only a few seconds. It was a small routine measure that they had to take to keep relations between the two nations steady. Shikamaru never liked that part very much, but his so-called missions of escorting demanded it. As they walk down the building's front steps, Temari looked slightly at Shikamaru's face. The redness was gone from her outburst, but there was a scratch underneath his cheekbone. She wondered if she did that in her anger. Then a worse thought crept into her mind. What if some other girl did that?

Temari couldn't help but walk slowly. Her head always seemed to play mind games on her. Shikamaru took note of her sluggish pace and placed his hands in his pockets. "This time around, do you want a conversation?" He looked up at the sky unintentionally. It was a great time of year. The sun didn't beat down on your back, and the clouds drifted carelessly on through the bright blue background. The best part about the spring time, however, was that the breeze was perfect. It wasn't too brutal nor was it too subtle. It was a delightful mixture of heat and cold. Just like someone he knew. Someone he unknowingly had grown close to and fond of.

She looked at him as his eyes drifted upward. She gripped the edges of her hair to adjust the one loose hair that crept out of her ponytails. "What's your fascination with clouds?" She looked up to see the fluffy patches of white. They meant almost nothing to her. They had no real substance expect to hold water and to look pretty. She kept her slow pace as they walked toward her temporary home.

He just looked over at her. Her rough façade had faded years ago with him. She could beat him senseless, but there was more to her than people gave her credit for. She was more intellectual than people realized, and in a weird way, she was more beautiful too. He couldn't believe the thought that ran through his head, but he was no longer going to deny it. There was no point in it anyways. "I like the simplicity of them. They float along carelessly as if they are innocent of holding rain that will pour down on us soon. They aren't colorful or flashy. They just are." He paused to yawn. She was troublesome without even knowing it. He had woken up extremely early to make sure he was at the gates way before she walked up. He had been standing there for three hours before she arrived, and his efforts were starting to tire him out. "I used to want a life like that. A simple one with a simple family."

Temari quickly cranked her head in his direction. "What changed then?"

By now, they were passing the academy where several students were practicing their techniques. A small pack of three kids stood on the other side of the grounds from where they were passing. It reminded Shikamaru of the good old days with Choji and Ino when the world was not complicated. When his thoughts didn't get the best of him. When his hopes and dreams were simple. He looked over at a fully aware sand nin. He knew he had to word it perfectly for her to get it, but then again, he wasn't sure if she would ever really get it. "Someone I never thought would ever mean anything to me." He meekly smirked at her with a longing look in his eyes.

Temari looked at him in a questioning way. She wanted to ask, but what if it wasn't directed at her? She risked it anyways. She was normally methodical but if she was wrong, it would just be an awkward moment between them and nothing else. As she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out. She was once again frozen in time. She was beginning to get used to the feeling. Even so, she choked out a response. "Oh. She must be something special then." Her heart sank as she realized it couldn't be her.

_Next thing we're touching _

_You look at me it's like you hit me with lightning _

He smiled at her bigger now. She smiled lightly back, hoping her feelings didn't drive her too far out of her character. He touched her cheek with his hand. There was nothing else to say to her. He didn't need to explain any of his words to her, and yet, he felt obliged to. She had been there on several occasions when no one else was around. Or was he just imagining that? Was his mind once again playing tricks on him? He knew he was lazy and at times, unbearably so. However, he knew certain things required effort. The kind of effort she made him exhibit every single day. "You have no idea."

His touch felt so right. Every other man kept their distance, but he kept advancing over the years. Subtly or lazily she thought; however, he was now only inches away from her. The closest they had ever been without being in combat.

So it hit her suddenly that this was the time to let her guard down. She could trust him. Shikamaru cautiously brought his lips to hers. They were soft and delightfully tasty in an odd way. He had never seen this coming. Not in a million years. He fell for the most difficult woman in existence.

She held onto the moment as he pulled away. Her vision locked onto the clouds that seemed to change colors mysteriously before her eyes. Her first kiss was with a lazy genius. Her complete opposite and yet, her perfect match.

_Oh, everybody's starry-eyed _

_And everybody goes _

_Oh, everybody's starry-eyed _

_And my body glows_

Awkwardness followed them around the rest of the day as they did their routine. They were stuck in the in between. They weren't anything close to lovers and yet, they were no longer close friends. They weren't about to go announcing to the village what happened in front of the academy.

And yet, they were both starry-eyed, glancing over every once and a while to see the other glance back. It brought a smile to both of their faces unintentionally and completely out of character for both of them.

Harsh exteriors were nothing more than shields for the reality at hand. They were in the starry-eyed state. It was blissful and frightening for both of them. On one hand, their feelings were mutual, but on the other, how would it all work out?

The day was slowing ending. To Temari, the sunsets in Konoha always lasted so longer than the ones back home.

Temari walked straight in the middle of the now empty streets of Konoha. She was just wandering now. She didn't want anything to eat and she definitely didn't want to go to the temporary house. There was no reason to just yet.

She was headed to the one place they both understood to be peaceful. It was a general understanding between them for years now. Cloud watching was his habit, but Temari had a habit of staring out into the sunsets. She headed up a small hill at the far edge of the village right off of the street that they had strolled down.

Shikamaru simply observed her typical behavior for this time of day. He never told her that he liked this part of the day. He never actually watched the sunset with her exactly. He gazed at her in her fascinated state of mind. There was no stopping the way her tan skin glowed by the setting colors.

She reached the top of the hill and simply looked up. If she wasn't careful, she could lose her mind in the sky. For the same sky that lied in the sand village, this one looked so different. Every time she looked at it during her visits, it seemed to change. The colors were the same, but they weren't at the same time. Sometimes they were a richer shade and sometimes they seemed to lightly scrape across the scenery. Shikamaru smirked and leaned against the nearby tree. "So why do you like the sunsets so much?"

It was the first thing spoken between them since the earlier incident, and to Temari, it was the perfect words to come out of his mouth. "Glad you asked finally." She smiled without showing her teeth this time. It was every once and a while when she would showcase a truly sincere smile. "Well, lazy, it never stays the same. It's colorful, and sunsets are powerful."

He placed his hands in his pockets. "Powerful, huh?"

She kept her eyes fixated on the sky that was now almost hinting at dusk's arrival. "Yeah. Sunsets completely change the sky at the end of the day. It leaves our view with a bang. It doesn't go down without a fight. It's strong, and even more so, it remains beautiful. It's a weird occurrence that somehow happens every day. It's something that people need. Without sunsets, what would people look to at the end of the day?" She paused as she watched the sun finally dissappear behind the horizon. She then turned to Shikamaru who locked eye contact with her.

He smirked. "So basically the sunset is you." He stepped toward her, and she tried to turn away. Her eyes filled with fury as she realized she couldn't.

_Next thing we're touching_

_Hit me with lightning_

He smiled as he kissed her again this time tasting her anger hindering on her lips. He liked the fight in her. It was something he was accustomed to seeing. And now, accustomed to feeling. He released his grip on her expecting the worst to occur, but it didn't. Instead, she threw him yet another curveball in his day. She gripped the back of his neck and kissed him roughly on the lips. Then, with a smirk, she began to whisper in her ear. "Next time you pull a stunt like that, be prepared to die, lazyass."

Shikamaru only smirked. "Noted."


	18. Sanctuary

**Hey there everyone. I know it's been awhile since I was able to post anything up. Life has simply gotten in the way really. That and internet access (besides on my phone) has been limited at best. Well, anyways, I truly believe this chapter is one of the best ones in the Shuffle Project so far. I hope you enjoy it. Also, I'm working on finishing my other fanfics as well, so I will be updating them all together so if you are a fan of my other works, look out for them. (: **

**Kingdom Hearts fan will probably be familiar with this song. It's called Sanctuary. I cannot for the life of me understand Japanese or let alone translate it, so this is the English version. I hope you enjoy it. As always your lovely comments and suggestive ideas are always appreciated. :) -Hot Mess 12**

* * *

**In you and I there's a new land**

**Angel's in flight**

This wasn't the first time they encountered each other on the battlefield; however, to Temari, it was oddly different from the rest. They weren't fighting to win a battle. They were fighting to win a war.

It shocked her just how much Shikamaru had aged since the last time he walked her to the gates of Konoha. She had caught wind of Asuma's death, but more importantly, Shikamaru's defeat of Hidan. It took more than just guts to make that move. It took intelligence. While everyone in her village awed in amazement that a chunnin took out such an elite ninja, Temari had just grinned. She was the only one who knew which chunnin it was before the name hit anyone's lips.

She caught herself watching his moves as well as her own in this battle especially. She knew he could handle himself, but she still used her peripheral vision to spot him from time to time. With any luck, this battle would be their last. As someone attacked her, a gust of wind formed from the creases in her fan. When someone attacked him, he made the most logical move to advance. To Temari, it was eerie how well their separate tactics complimented each other. They could easily take on ten times as many Shinobi that were headed their way.

She had never imagined being as close an ally to a lazy ass as she was now. And that's when it happened. His mind was too many steps ahead of his body, and a kunai hit his side, grazing his skin. Nevertheless, the blow forced him to his knees. The ninja above had the lust of blood radiating off of him, and as his arm headed straight for Shikamaru's neck, a gust of wind threw the thirsty nin straight into a tree. An array of weapons closely followed.

As Shikamaru already knew, Temari did not have much control of her temper. He looked up to find her face lit up by her shining grin. She was simply an angel in flight with her fan. And this time, he smirked back to her.

He threw a kunai past her face to hit an attacker that was right behind her. With that, he repaid the favor.

They were back to back for what felt like the hundredth time. They made a good team which was why the Hokage and Kazekage had been put them on the same squadron. They were strong leaders separately, but together, their unit had not lost a single battle, no matter what the circumstances had been. To the rest of the army fighting the war, this small squadron symbolized hope and strength.

**My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah**

**Where fears and lies melt away**

**Music Inside **

**What's left of me, what's left of me now**

As usual, Temari played the offensive role in the battle as Shikamaru took on the defensive end of things. For every hit she blew, he made sure to eliminate her opponent all together with his shadows. He had built quite a control of his chakra due to the ongoing war. He smirked as Temari jumped back behind him to throw several shriken in every direction to her intended targets. Of course, she never missed a beat when she was focused. Shikamaru knew that she rarely ever used her chakra because she was much better at simply fighting.

Temari sensed the end of the battle approaching. Most of the incoming infantry had either been depleted or headed in the opposite direction. She hated to lose, so she figured that was the reason why this news excited her. But as she backed close to Shikamaru, she knew it wasn't the answer at all. Although he was good at hiding his pain, the lazy ass was wounded from the kunai from earlier.

Losing this one ally; Losing this one person. The thought struck her down hard and made her heart even heavier than before. He was her strength in the midst of the endless battles. He was what made her excited for each batch of opponents that approached them. With all the heartache and sadness surrounding their unit, he made them think logically and pull through. She, on the other hand, assisted most in toughening them up. She guessed that had created some balance and order that other teams didn't have access to.

As she turned toward him, she admitted to herself that she wasn't sure how to react. This was the victory all of her village and their neighboring allies were hoping for. Shikamaru stood up from his crouched position of holding shadows, wincing slightly. For the first time in a long time, he looked at the clouds.

Temari smirked as she analyzed him. "Guess you never can get your head out of the clouds." She shrugged. "Better in the clouds than in the ground."

Shikamaru just sighed. "I would have been if it wasn't for you."

Temari's heart flickered just slightly. His sincerity was something she was not used to. In all of their years fighting together and getting to know one another, he had never used that tone of voice with her. They bickered and had in-depth conversations, but nothing overly sincere. But as she tried to think through this situation in front of her, she realized that all of those years had been sincere in one way or another.

Temari just bit her lip before she continued. "The feeling is mutual. That guy was totally about to wipe me out."

Shikamaru continued. "It's not just on the battlefield, Temari. In fact, it never was about the battlefield." With those everlasting words locked into the air separating them, he walked toward the rest of his infantry. He didn't look back. He was too frightened at what her reaction was going to be. Shikamaru wasn't quite sure why he had said that to her. It was not a logical move at all. This time, he could not plan a thousand moves ahead. Honestly, with Temari, he never could. That was something he treasured about her. As many of his comrades began to celebrate the immense victory, Shikamaru smiled, disguising his true feelings from the world and especially from a certain troublesome person.

Temari stood there with no expression on her face. She felt numb. She wasn't sure how to react.

She was completely clueless to the fact that the genius had admitted she helped him. She was completely clueless to the fact that he cared for her. But the one thing she knew as she watched Shikamaru walk away from her was that she never wanted him to do that to her again.

**I watch you fast asleep **

**All I fear means nothing**

For Temari, it was a sleepless night. The village hidden in the rain had given up their advances for the moment, and the Kazekage was on his way to negotiations with their leader. She knew her brother better than anyone, and she just grinned at the thought of someone leading him into a trap. They would be trapped in more just than sand if they pulled such a stunt. She knew that to be a fact.

However, she was wide awake, gazing at the full moon as she crept out of her tent. For some reason, she found herself at the heath of Shikamaru's private tent. As the commanders, they both got their privacy with the tents. That was about the only perk they got though. She found that he had not bothered to close his tent up or put out his canteen fire inside the tent. Temari found no surprise in this because even in the midst of a war, Shikamaru would still find a way to be lazy somehow. She wasn't sure why she was approaching him in the middle of the night. Back home, she would just have gone for a walk or step out for some fresh air. However, ever since the war began, she found herself staying up with him talking about the trials and victories of war or other meaningless notions. She took a second to look at the sky. For wartime, the skies cast the most beautiful array of stars. Although she didn't believe in the foolishness of wishes, nights like this almost changed her mind.

"Are you just going to stand there all night?"

His voice was lazy and nostalgic. She realized then that he wasn't catching sleep either. As he whipped the tent's door completely open, Temari caught a glance of his bare skin. Much unlike herself, she blushed. What was this war doing to her? Shikamaru just glanced up at her. It was moments like this that reminded him of why he was fighting. It was so that people could find happiness in the simplicity of life. He smirked as Temari gave no immediate response. "So are you going to come in or what?"

Temari sighed. "I guess I will, seeing that I have nothing of major importance to do." Although she felt her internal walls crumbling, she kept her control. That was the one thing she prided herself on, and war was not going to change any of that.

As he shifted to make more room for her, he noticed her bulging chest. He wondered why it was now that he was appreciating her womanly shape. He figured his mind hadn't made space for such satisfying thoughts because war was not a time to focus on such novelties.

She sat there for a few moments, looking at her fingers. They felt different than before somehow. However, she wasn't sure how. Were they rougher? Were they weaker?

Shikamaru viewed his own hands, but much unlike Temari, he knew how they had changed. Within the past three years, they went from boy's hands to the hands of a full-fledged man. He sighed, catching Temari attention as she jolted up to look at him. Her teal eyes shined only slightly as fire cast shadows on them. Shikamaru found humor in this little irony. "War changes thing, Temari."

Temari leaned back against the tent exterior only slightly. "And why tell me that? We've both seen how war changes things. War screws up a lot." She paused for a few seconds as she caught her rising temper. Sometimes Shikamaru said things as though as she couldn't comprehend them. That infuriated her, but in some way, she knew he never meant it to come out that way. Shikamaru was a crappy communicator when it came to emotions. "But sometimes it's the only way to make things better." He knew she was catching an attitude, but he was impressed at how calm and tame she had become since they first met. They could hold conversations and know how to openly respond to each other without thinking up answers. It was a very unique part of their dynamics. He quite honestly relished it. "Temari, it changes people." He gripped a Zippo lighter, much like Asuma's, and flicked the top up and down. "It's changed me."

Temari closed her eyes and lightly shook her head. "You talk like that's a bad thing." She leaned forward, getting closer to Shikamaru to make sure she had his attention. "I have respect for you now that I never imagined I would have for anyone outside of my brothers.." She gripped his hand with the Zippo lighter as he had reopened it. She quickly shut it closed. "You have changed, Shikamaru, but it is for the better." She managed to flash a smile back at him that he had almost forgotten. It was the first smile that he ever saw on her, and it suited her quite well. It was harsh but friendly. Calm but fiery. Loving but warning. The smile defined Temari.

He sighed once again as he pushed the lighter deep into his pockets. "Respect, huh?" He smirked at her lovingly. "Guess the feeling's mutual."

Temari laughed quietly. "Good." She felt her eyes start to close. She forgot what the feeling of warmth was since she was a little girl. She never thought it would be with a lazy ninja though. However, her life was never scripted and she did live for surprises. She gently smiled as she started to head for the exit. She let out a yawn. "Guess I'll head back now." As she motioned toward the opening, Shikamaru wrapped her in his shadows. Suddenly, anger flowed through Temari. So much for the sweet moment. She calmly spoke, "Let me go, Nara."

"Temari, stay here tonight." With those words, he released his jutsu.

Temari simply sighed as she punched his arm as hard as she could. Then she laid down beside his knees. "If you say so, crybaby." She quickly drifted off as Shikamaru gazed at her in amazement.

He took a good look at the headstrong princess of the sand. He had to admit he liked her feistiness. It just suited her like no other woman. He paused in his head to remember only one other woman with the same attribute: his mother.

Then what his father had told him years ago finally clicked.

He quickly turned off the canteen fire and laid down next to Temari. He placed his face near her hair. It smelled of the wind, pulling in different scents. For the night, he had nothing to fear.

**In you and I there's a new land**

**Angel's in flight**

**My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah**

**Where fears and lies melt away**

**Music Inside **

**What's left of me, what's left of me now**

It didn't take long for Temari to realize she had slept in a different tent. His was not laid out properly and her back ached. No wonder Shikamaru spent most of his time crouched during a battle. She swiftly sat up, looking around at her surroundings. Shikamaru was already out of the tent, which Temari never expected. Nara loved his sleep.

Temari felt that something was off about Shikamaru when she bumped into him as she exited the tent. He seemed fatigued but not from a lack of sleep. Temari looked at him for a second as he staggered trying to get inside the tent. As Temari started to walk away to pack up her tent and belongings for the morning just in case they were ordered to move swiftly to another location, she turned around. He never said a word to her. It stung her a little bit, but she continued walking in her chosen direction. Then, it hit her mind. He was in pain, probably in an intense amount.

She darted into his tent to see Shikamaru remove the last of his bandages. They were covered in blood. It was a substantial amount. Temari immediately fell to her knees to access the damage done. From the looks of it, Shikamaru's wound had become infected. It was not healing properly at all, and after confirming this to be true, Temari internally cursed.

The medical units were scarce to come by in this area. It was far too dangerous still to send more than a group of three at a time. And the bigger problem was that they left but a few hours ago to tend to an unit that was in much more need of repairing than their squadron was.

Shikamaru just smirked. "It's just a scratch. I'm gonna be fine." Even as Shikamaru said the words out loud, he had no real conviction to the statement. He had seen people with similar wounds die within the next few days. He was at least grateful that the wound had stopped bleeding. If he was lucky, he could tolerate the pain for her.

Temari punched his chest as hard as she could when the tears started to form in her eye ducts. "For someone as smart as you, you know that you aren't going to be fine at all! You are going to die if that's not treated!"

She kept throwing her fists at his chest before he slowly pulled her into it. The tears were rolling down her face as he simply kissed her forehead. She had lost the one thing she prided herself on in a matter of seconds. She lost her self-control.

And for the fifteen minutes following her breakdown, he held her tightly as she cried into his chest. He was smart enough to close the entrance to his tent this time in order to give them more privacy. Privacy was the one thing he felt Temari needed.

Shikamaru was actually relieved at her reaction. For one thing, it meant she gave a damn about his existence. Another was that it confirmed she was human. For the longest time, Shikamaru was wondering if she would show any signs of sadness or regret or anything in that range of emotions. But as he cuddled her into him, he had to stop himself from smiling. If he did die, he would have at least gotten past her tall brick wall around her heart.

For the time being the tent would be their sanctuary to each other. In that moment, Shikamaru had no fear of death like he thought he might. He wasn't afraid about himself anymore. She was terrified of losing him, so he knew that this wound was not how he was going to go out.

"Temari…" Shikamaru's whisper tickled her ear as she emerged from his bare skin. Her eyes were slightly puffy, and to Shikamaru, that was a weird look on her. It didn't fit her at all. So he wiped the tears away and cupped his hands around her face. "Please stop crying."

**My heart's a battleground**

**You show me how to see**

**That nothing is whole and nothing is broken**

Temari was amazed at how demanding Shikamaru's voice sounded. He was pleading with her, and she unknowingly obliged. She felt the warmth of his hands against her face and finally calmed down. She lightly and gingerly smiled. "Guess I can't call you crybaby anymore, huh?"

Shikamaru approached her face slowly until his lips were mere centimeters from hers. "You know, I have kinda gotten used to it." He paused before he lightly smirked back at her. "Crybaby."

He did what his heart had wanted to do for a few years now. His lips touched hers with butterflies emerging in his gut. It was a sensation he had never really felt because he was too logical to experience it. Love was not logical so he chose to try to avoid it. His heart was a battleground between the logic and the emotions. And as he felt the soft texture of her sun-kissed lips, he realized that emotions were kicking logic's ass.

And something told him that he was okay with that.

Temari smiled as she felt his lip

s on hers. There was something magical about a first kiss that she could not describe to save her life. There was something so unique about Shikamaru that for years she couldn't place it. She only found out what it when they romantically collided now. He was someone who made her whole and never broke her down.

They both separated soon after the kiss began. As they both looked each other in the eyes, they blushed, unsure of what war was making them become.

**In you and I there's a new land**

**Angel's in flight**

**My sanctuary, my sanctuary, yeah**

**Where fears and lies melt away**

**Music Inside **

**What's left of me, what's left of me now**

And then an intense pain hit Shikamaru. It was the kind of pain that made many Shinobi pass out within moments. He gripped Temari's hand tightly as the searing sensation burned throughout his body. The infection was taking hold of him, and as a genius, he knew that he didn't have much time left.

As he faded into darkness, he saw Temari's facial expressions screaming for help. She looked clam but urgent. Shikamaru expected no less of the nin. He knew that if he made this out alive, it was going to be because of her efforts to save him. That thought comforted him as he slipped into the dark calming silence.

Temari frantically tried to analyze possible solutions. Unlike Shikamaru, her plans of action took intense time and preparation to perform. And in this situation, she had neither.

She knew she didn't have much time before the infection spread to places where irreversible damage could happen. As always, Temari went into immediate action without much of a game plan. She raced out of the tent with find two leaf Shinobi relaxing. She ordered them to watch Shikamaru and inform her every few minutes of his condition. She knew someone had to watch him at all times. Just in case.

She yelled at the top of her lungs to get her squadron's attention. She never knew she could yell so loud, but what struck her more was how high-pitched and pleading her voice sounded. She was frantic, but apparently, it was going to be obvious to more people than herself and Shikamaru.

"What's his condition?!" She looked over to the tent to find the ninja frantically trying to answer, and in all honesty, she knew they wouldn't know much more about the infection than she would have. Still, there might be a minor chance that they have seen it before or paid more attention to the injury classes at their academy.

One feeble voice confirmed what she already feared. "His breathing is scattered, but he is breathing constantly. The infection has stayed in the rib area."

Temari nodded, and she quickly returned her focus to the somewhat curious squadron in front of her. She wasn't sure how to word her speech right, so instead she spoke as quickly and used her words as efficiently as she could. She needed as much time as she could savor.

"Alright, we have an emergency among us. Nara is under by a major wound infection. We don't have access to a med unit for a couple of days at the earliest." She paused to shallow hard. There was a lump forming in her throat, but she refused to let its results surface. She had already cried for the first and only time this decade. And by any means, she needed to sound confident and hopefully demanding in her words. This squadron was the only thing between Shikamaru and his impending death. "Nara will not last that long. I highly doubt he will last but a few more hours. And lasting that long without treatment would be miraculous to say the least. Status update!"

"He is stable but breathing is becoming more rapid! The infection appears to be spreading inside of him." She continued as soon as she got the information she needed. No reason to waste any more time. "So we are his last hope. I know we are not medicals and that is probably for good reason. However, Nara is counting on us, and I would hate to have to tell his family that he won the war alive but is coming home dead."

There was a feeble-looking sand nin in the back of the crowd that quickly raced back into her tent. Temari took note of this, and her temper was beginning to flare. How in the world could that small thing ignore her plead for Shikamaru's life?

Temari continued nevertheless because there was no use for anger now. "Can anyone contribute anything to help him?"

The young ninja returned with some sort of serum in her hand. She was smiling with conviction as she yelled a response. "This should help him recover brilliantly, ma'am!" She darted toward Temari and handed her the small vile of medication. "This is a vile of a healing serum my parents gave me before I left. It cures any infection, and it also helps scab the wound over quickly." Temari just stood there with the vile in her fingers for a few seconds. She was shocked at how easy saving his life had been. One question and one response. As she looked at the nin, she quickly remembered how the girl had been cornered in this last battle, and luckily, the fan's waves wiped out everything around her as Shikamaru held her down by his shadows. Apparently Temari had some pretty good karma on her side today.

Suddenly Temari snapped back into reality and made her way to his tent, shoving everyone else out. The vile only had a small amount in it, but Temari did not doubt its effects. For one thing, she knew serums can work in only a small amount, and then second, she couldn't afford to think of the results if it didn't work.

She pushed the liquid down Shikamaru's throat. She couldn't help but worry about the outcome now. There was no escaping from the thoughts that filled her head. Luckily, Shikamaru was still able to swallow while unconscious. Temari attributed this result to be because he wasn't too far gone.

And just like that, his breath vanished from existence.

Temari's heart seemed to stop with his breath. She went into a panic, but she knew that she was the only one that could save his life now. As she checked his breath one more time to notice it still was not there, she placed her hands on his chest, one on top of the other. She pounded on his chest with as much power as she could muster from inside of herself. She knew that she would probably break his ribs, but she would rather him be injured than dead. After about thirty pushes on his chest, she checked his mouth once again to find nothing. She pushed her lips to his and blew into his mouth deeply. And then she continued pounding down on his chest.

She started to panic as she then approached his mouth again. There might not be any saving him after this one. She knew that all too well. She had tried to perform CPR on some of her falling comrades after one of the many battles they had been in. And every time, they survived after the second round or they laid on the ground to be buried.

She was once again in this position. Only this time, it was her life or death attached as well. She breathed in as much air as she could hold within herself. As she pushed it out into his mouth and down his throat, she closed his nasal cavity for an extra measure of caution.

It was then that she realized his hand had gripped her back tightly. He pushed her down, causing her to let go of his nose. She was lost in thought as her lips went from saving him to embracing his presence. There was nothing left to do but enjoy the sweet moment in front of her. And like always she did what she wanted to.

Shikamaru felt a sharp pain in his side. He had had broken ribs before, so he knew why the pain was there. She had just saved his life. Somehow, she had done what he thought was going to be an impossible feat. Even as a genuis, he thought he was a goner before he faded away. But, as he kissed her passionately, he knew she was his saving grace.

It was in that moment that he started to believe in fate. If he had not faced her in the chunnin exams, he would probably not be alive now. He probably wouldn't have even made it through half of this war if it wasn't because of her.

Temari pushed away violently to look at Shikamaru's face, which was still pale but the color was returning slowly. She smiled at him brightly. It was the first time in a long time that she thought nothing was going to go wrong. "Glad you're back from the dead, Nara."

Shikamaru just gently smiled. He knew that make-out session wouldn't last long. "Glad to be back." He paused as he slowly sat slightly winced from the pain on his right side. He looked at her as relief filtered through her sun-kissed body. "Crybaby." He began to chuckle as Temari's face turned a lipstick red.

Temari, instead of punching him or violently hurting him, turned to face him. Shee gently guiding him back onto the ground and smiled. She got on top of him slowly to make sure not to hurt him too much in the process. She began kissing him softly. She whispered to him while playing with his earlobe with her tongue. "Kept that a secret, lazy, and I'll make sure that this moment is something you never forget."

Shikamaru just glided his hand up her shirt. "Deal, troublesome."

**My fears and lies melt away**


	19. Dear Anne

**Although this isn't exactly a song fiction, this is strongly (even heavily) based on Lil Wayne's Dear Anne. I wasn't talented enough to make the lyrics match the story so I decided to just base a story off of it. J If you haven't heard the song, I would highly suggest you listen to it. It is deep.**

* * *

There was something inside Shikamaru that made him sit down at his desk and start to write a letter. He knew this next mission was a suicidal one. He was a genius after all. He figured that if he wrote to someone, maybe he'd be remembered as something more than lazy.

He never wanted to be a hero or anything. More or less, he figured that he just wanted to be remembered by someone. He picked up the pencil and meticulously started writing. He wished he didn't know who he was writing to, or that it would just have been his mom. That would have made this a very simple letter.

However, who he was writing to could never be simple. She was as complicated as they came. She would probably be the last thing he thought about before he died.

And how he was always too lazy to tell her. He shrugged to himself. Maybe it was better in this letter anyways. There was no rejection associated in a note left to you by the deceased.

He saw the candle light flicker as a gust of wind escaped through the window that was only mildly cracked. The wind always reminded him of her.

_Dear Temari,_

_I know what you're thinking. Why would I be writing to you of all people? Don't worry. It doesn't surprise me at all. You are a close friend, and someone I admire. _

He paused. Did he really admire her? Or was there another word he wished he would put there? He wasn't quite sure. This letter was harder to put together than he thought it would. He figured that he would just write what came to his mind, but his face turned grim. How do you say it when you know you'll be dead by the time she gets it?

_You are one of the best nin I have ever come across. You fight with strength and determination. Although you may not be the strongest, you make up for that by your strategies. You are truly ingenious. At this point, you must been completely stunned, right? You must be saying to yourself, did he really think all of this? Does he really mean all this? _

He picked the pencil off the paper for a second to think about how to say what he wanted to say, but he didn't know how. So he decided to just keep rambling. He was going to be dead, so why not? There was nothing that he could say that would change that fact.

_I mean it. But more than that, I care about you. On several occasions, I wanted to say it, but I couldn't. Lazy or not, I still held my tongue. _

That was the end of page one. He figured it was more like the breaking introduction of the note. He was creating a pace that would build up as the note went on.

_On a different note, my life is something I was proud of in a weird way. I liked the simplicity of it all, and how up to this point, I was successful in more than one aspect of my life. However, my love life is trash. It always has been. I don't give enough effort into anything, and frankly, I'm too lazy to care about what a woman thought about me._

_Of course, until it came to you. I wanted to impress you, which I now know was only in vain. There were too many obstacles beyond what a genius could overcome. Too many roadblocks I guess. I could see in your eyes that you feel alone. It's no secret to me, but in a way, I completely understood. I guess I was one of the only ones. Loneliness sucks._

He almost edged towards the eraser to delete the last sentence, but he tore it back to the led. These were his true feelings, and only she would get them. Ironically, like he knew her feelings.

_There's a part of me (the one that is past the laziness) that knows how life is cruel and uncertain. I may be a genius, but there was never a way to get to the people I care about in time. My mother is too stubborn to talk to. My father is too lazy to talk to. My friends are now dating, and they rarely even see me anymore. In their defense, I haven't been too cooperative to our normal antics. But in a more serious tone, my sensei was right there. He was feet away from me. And I couldn't reach him. _

_That's a never ending nightmare. People tell me not to think about it the way I do. They say it's not my fault, but deep down in my soul, that very thought is burrowed. _

_To even tell you the truth here, I'm not even sure why I'm writing this to you. I mean, you all of people, might understand, but you might just toss it away like a cloud. I never know you even though I know you. There's not a lot more to it. You were a puzzle no one could ever solve, and I think that's why I took that mission without much of a fight. I'm glad I did._

Shikamaru once again paused to look at what he wrote. He kept his feelings inside for so long that the small release of it on paper made him sigh with relief. There was a part of him that knew she wouldn't show that letter to anyone so whatever he said was safe. Not that it would matter much.

_I'm writing this letter for a reason, if you can believe it or not. It honestly probably doesn't sound much like me at all. I guess that's what I want. As much as I know I'm lazy, I don't want that to be my downfall in this mission. I want to go out in a noble way. In a respectable way. In a way that you'll find out and be surprised that it ended that way. Now, don't think I'm crying to you for help. I'm no crybaby anymore. By the time you get this it'll be too late anyways. I just wanted you to know my thoughts were all directed towards you before I left. _

There was a part of Shikamaru that thought he should stop there. He should just hope that no one rummages through the trash once he's gone. He thought about how they searched Asuma's place after his death. Everyone wanted a piece of what was left of him. He remembered that he never walked in there. It would be empty. He had felt the lighter in his pocket, and he held it firmly to the point where blood rushed straight to the fingers' veins. He lightly pressed the pencil down harder in a fit of angst, but it wasn't for Asuma. It was for her.

_I hope you stay just the way you are now. Whether you want to admit it or not, there's a part of you that struggles with your feelings too. You seem to put up with it better than I do though. I always wanted to ask you how you did, but I had a feeling you would have just laughed it off. Your laughter was so harsh and yet so magical. It was quite a phenomenon to me. You were a phenomenon to me really. _

That was the end of page two. Shikamaru was quite surprised at his intense effort up to this point. He figured sleep would have hit by now, but he was wide awake as he watched the candlelight flicker again. He flipped to another piece of paper. This was going to be his last page. He was going to get it all over with. He was going to say things that he couldn't during his lifetime.

_It's weird how the time I spent with you evolved as we both grew up. I used to think you were annoying, but as time grew on, I found myself mesmerized. Yes, I said that just now.  
I hope everything with your family is going well. As much stress as all of you have been under since Gaara took his position, you need it. And believe it or not, I always kept you three in my thoughts. There was something about you guys that left a lasting impression. I guess it's just something that runs in the family. And in you. _

_I hope that you keep your brutality. Just keep reading. It makes you strong in life. I know life hasn't exactly been fair to you, and in a stupid hopeful way, I hope my death shakes you just a little. It would have meant that you cared even a tiny bit. That these building feelings aren't one-sided. That my analysis of this predicament isn't completely wrong. _

_It's twisted. I know that, but everything inside is twisted as of recently. This mission, which I can't even tell you details about, is going to be my last. _

_I don't know how to tell you what I need to. I can't tell anyone about it as a matter of fact. _

_But I love you, which I am sure is shocking to you.  
Guess I grew to love you through our friendship. Remember that you are not a monster and you never were. You were toughened by the cruel world around you. But secretly, in our tender moments, I knew I loved you._

_-Shikamaru._

Temari received the letter after several days. She read it over and over again, and then she turned it in her hands. How could he be such a coward?

She locked herself in her room after she felt tears approaching. Temari never stopped to think about his death. The thought itself was too painful.

But as she heard a knock on her door, she went into panic mode. "Go away."

"You don't mean that, troublesome."  
His voice was rough and shaky, but nevertheless, it was his. She smiled as opened the door, expecting to looking up at him, but to her surprise, Shikamaru was on one knee, still in a blooded Shinobi uniform. "Before you say anything or get mad, listen to me first." He didn't hesitate to continue. "I promised myself after I wrote that letter that if I survived, the first thing I would do the one thing that scared me the most."

Temari just laughed her full laugh at him. "Then yes."

Shikamaru shook his head. "But I didn't even have a ring."  
Temari violently pulled him to his feet, and he happily ablidged. That was just her nature, and he enjoyed it in a weird way, As she pressed her lips firmly against his, he felt her energy.

Of course, a death letter would turn out to be so much more than that. A death letter actually turned into a marriage. The irony that was his relationship, and the irony that was his life.


	20. Mirrors I

**HEY EVERYONE! ****It's been awhile since I wrote anything I could put on here. I've been quite busy, so I have pretty much been MIA. But I hope to be uploading much more soon. (: Anyways, on with my song fics! These one is the first half of lyrics from Mirrors by Ellie Goulding. I hope you enjoy, and as always, R&R are appreciated. ****XOXOXO. -Hot Mess 12**

* * *

**Is this our world?**

Temari hadn't seen Shikamaru in years. The war had turned her world upside down, and he was a main component in it all. As a Shinobi, she was required to travel and be active. She couldn't settle down, and she knew that is exactly what he would ask for her. So, in conclusion, she walked away and never looked back. That was until now. She stood at the Konoha gates determined to know if she was right. Doubt had filled her mind for the past years, and as stubborn as she was, she needed answers. The great Temari was going to swallow her pride for a lazy genius.

She went to the temporary housing unit that was for the longest time reserved for her. Shikamaru had paid for it every month to make sure no one else was allowed access. He said that it was just part of his mission to keep me safe on the visits, but it turned into more of that. It turned into their place, but more importantly, it turned into their world.

It was where she cooked for the first time, and Shikamaru ate it. It was where he then got food poisoning and threw up all evening. It was where he taught her how to play shoji, and it was where she lost in the strip version of the game. It was where they shared intimidate moments and intelligent conversations. It was where she was more than just a terrible malicious nin. It was where everything changed.

It became a place that was truly their own.

**I look in the mirror  
I can't get over you  
Is this our world?  
Is this someone else?  
Is this someone else?**

She found the key in the hidden place under a shoji board on the porch. A smile crept onto her face as she realized how strategic everything was between them. Hidden love in a way that only they could understand.

As she turned the key in the lock and turned the knob of the door, she exhaled heavily. Was it love on his part too? Or was she being strung along the whole time? He was a genius after all.

The place was virtually untouched from the last time she had left it, and she felt no need to turn the lights on since the moonlight made everything seem so surreal. She didn't want to feel disconnected with this place anymore.

She grazed her fingers along the loose fibers of the beat up couch as she entered the living area and slid on the tiles in the kitchen. Great memories flooded back to her, overwhelming her senses. The smell of grass and lemon scented the place, and the sight of their endless battle tactics of paper lit a flame inside her of pure hope. This place developed the hope that was needed to win the war. It all began here, and hopefully, out of the love they need for their nation and each other.

Or at least she hoped so.

Temari walked slowly to the depths of the only bedroom in the place. Before crossing the room's threshold, she glanced back into the living room at the couch. For months, she made Shikamaru sleep on that uncomfortable thing, and then one night, she tried to drink more sake than she was accustomed to. He carried her from the BBQ shack to the bedroom. Even in her drunken state, Temari was aware of the boundaries that they had set. There were heavy emotions intertwined between them that could never be fully realized. But being drunk made the lines blur, and she pulled on his Jounin jacket. She pulled him so close to her lips that she smelled the sweet cinnamon mouthwash he used. Temari had laid on the bed with Shikamaru standing hunched over her. He had all the power to pull away or stop her. Instead, he met her the rest of the way.

That was the first time he slept with her in the same bed.

Now, sitting down on the bed felt weird and cold. It was filled with so much that was too far to fully grasp. The concept of her emotions getting out of control caused her to look into the mirror in the vanity across from the bed. Her eyes watered as the memory of his smile as she put her hair up floated in the air. But his kiss on her shoulder as she put her make-up on lingered on her skin somehow.

Tears streamed steadily down her cheeks as the realization hit that she wasn't over him. That in itself scared her to her core. What if, after all these years, he found someone else?

Then a slam at the front door caught her full attention. With tears still present, she held tight to a kunai she had held on her hip. No one was going to hurt her, even in her most venerable state.

**I look in the mirror  
And I try to see myself  
My head full of terror  
From the games I played so well  
I try to see clearer  
I try to forget the fires I started  
I try to be nearer  
To where you are  
To where you are**

Shikamaru hadn't visited their place since she walked away. The key under the Shoji board wasn't there anymore, and that made him anxious. Only the two of them knew about it, but without her knowledge, he hid one in the pot she threw at him the first time she lost Shoji to him. It was a precaution if she needed help and especially if she locked him out. He was paying for the place after all.

He entered carefully, but he caught a glimpse of himself in the moonlight reflected off of a window. He had matured since the beginning of the stupid war. He was still shaving, but stubble always seemed to stay on his face. He was taller and more muscular. He barely caught a glimpse of himself, and when he tried to look again, it was hard to see himself at all. So he kept walking into their home.

Tactics laid across the table, and those only brought the beginning of the end for their relationship. He strategized the war like a massive Shoji board, and her input on the practicalities of moves made a clear balance. But that was no surprise. They were both good at the game of Shoji.

They started so many sparks in aiding countries, and they set other countries ablaze. It was weird and terrifying how big a difference there was between sparks and flames, and yet, it was all on the same playing field. Having one or the other didn't necessary give a disadvantage or an advantage. It was all in approach, but in this way, Temari balanced him out by her demanding nature. She lead troops effortlessly while he reminded them what the plans were. They were both leaders, but without one, was it an advantage or disadvantage? Or was it still even?

He heard the creak of the bedroom door as the kunai raced to his skull. Shadows engulfed it quickly, but the sight of her golden locks made the reality of his feelings send blood up to his head anyways. "Temari, it's only me."

He tried to step closer, but she positioned herself into the doorway fully. She clutched several weapons in her hand tightly, turning them red from the unusual tension. "Only you. You say that like I should still trust you."

Shikamaru barely noticed her cold smirk to him as her cheeks glistened. There was only way thing she could have been doing all this time. "Why are you crying, troublesome?" Even now, those words were meant as more of a compliment than an insult. For a long time that was how he viewed her. There was no other way of describing her, but he didn't want to change her.

Temari wiped her eyes roughly. "I'm not."

As he edged nearer to her, she let the weapons slid out of her hand and fall to the floor. They had always met halfway with everything. That was how things were. In friendship. In battle. In love.

But this time, Shikamaru walked all the way to her, and even in his laziest days, he would've done that for her if she needed it. Problem was she was too stubborn for that, and in all honesty, she never needed him to.

And as he wrapped his arms around her and she dampened his shirt with her oncoming tears, he realized fully that there was no way he would have ever gotten over her.

**Are we star-crossed lovers?  
Did I really want you gone?  
If I'm really a winner  
Where did these demons come from?**

She let herself almost suffocate from crying. She let years of resistance to emotions to fade away. Temari gripped his shirt tightly and cried. There was no time in which she completely stopped, but when she looked up at Shikamaru, there was a smile on his face.  
Angry, Temari shoved herself away from him. He had a tendency to ruin sweet moments. "What the fuck are you smiling about, Nara?! I don't think me crying is the best moment to smile!"

Shikamaru just chuckled as he came back to her and held her waist in his hands. The curves hit in all the right places, and he looked her dead in the eyes to avoid his thoughts to linger. "Guess I have the right to call you a crybaby now."  
Temari wrapped her arms around his neck as she cooled down. Then, she burst into laughter. This stress was almost too much to take for her. She never had this much emotional stress on her. "No. I cried for much more serious reasons."

Shikamaru swooped her loose hairs behind her ears and then replaced his hands on her hips. "I guess you're right. You cried after the war, not before it."

Sometimes Shikamaru's voice would become soothing and calming, almost hypnotizing to her. It was a voice she knew only in this place. In their place. There was an effortless way to him that was mixed into his laziness, and over the years, Temari began to appreciate it.

Temari kept her arms around his neck as she pushed herself closer to him. "I never wanted you gone, you know. I just hated what we had to do. What I had to do to win. For me, it was as simple as figuring it out with a damn Shoji board." She kept her eye contact even though everything told her to look away. "Every death follows me now. We wiped out squads that tripled our man force. We should be dead, but your intelligence saved us. And you saved me several times through all of it, and our lines blurred."

Shikamaru moved his hands to her lower back and held her lightly. She wasn't going to move away from him anytime soon. "They were meant to blur. I went through scenarios in my head, and I thought through all the different steps of my life. You were the most important person and the best aspect to the plans." Shikamaru kissed her forehead as he continued. "We all have demons, Temari. That doesn't mean we can run from them."

Temari began to whisper then, uncharacteristically so. Gentle was not in her nature. "But these demons force you to run."

Shikamaru again kissed her, but this time he aimed for her lips. They were smooth and delicate just like years before. He just couldn't take her in as much as he liked. He bit her lip gently, and then he whispered to her, feeling her breath release. "Then let me run with you."


	21. Radioactive

Hey everyone! Thanks for reading all of my oneshots so far! I know that they are adding up. Nevertheless, I apologize for the huge gap between stories. I've needed some fresh perspectives and new ideas flowing. I don't want my oneshots to be superficial or ordinary. I want to make them perfect for both my satisfaction and all of yours. For all of my regulars readers, thank you. I still look back at all of your reviews and get a warm fuzzy feeling. (Lame I know). For my first-timers, enjoy! Let me know what you think.

So, leaving on that note, I took a completely different approach to this story. I'm hoping you all still enjoy it, and if not, I want to know! I've been experimenting as of my last few chapters. This song is called Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. Great inspiring song! So go on and kick your feet up.

-Hot Mess 12

P.S. I never officially gave their children names for a reason. Although they are trying to save their kids, I tried to focus the attention on their relationships. Therefore, daughter and son were mutual understandings for them, and I couldn't take away from the story.

**I'm waking up to ash and dust**

**I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust **

**I'm breathing in the chemicals**

Temari hesitantly looked over the deserted, sandy area. This wasteland was once her home and where she was safe and free. But home no longer existed, and her safety no longer mattered. Her freedom was now her downfall. She saw in the distance her one last hope for normalcy, and unfortunately, she felt the tension between them.

Shikamaru was experiencing the same feelings within him. Konoha was gone. Though Temari saw the change in him from the first time he was confronted with adversity. He had matured into a true and noble Shinobi. She admired him for that.

Shikamaru turned to look at the fallen princess of the sand. He smiled as best as he could at her, but he was not about to comfort her. How condescending would that be? Assurance was not what she needed, and it was definitely not she wanted. She was breaking into a million pieces, and it angered him that he could only watch.

They were heading to the edge of Konoha as fast as they could. War was surrounding them, and revenge was the only chemical in the air. The only motivation for moving at all.  
But on the verge of a inner collapse, there was another chemical racing inside of Shikamaru. Temari was stunning in her battle attire. She was slimmed by the black suit that barely covered anything, and even covered in the sand, she stood out amongst it. Shikamaru shook his head as he walked toward her when she stopped to view the scene . Even in this state of mind, she held onto sanity. That was his wife.

The genius reached for her fan on the ground a few feet between them and picked the heavy utensil off the shifting ground. Temari simply watched until he placed it into her grasp. She held it tightly in her fingers. She had so much power a few days ago, and now with her greatest weapon in hand, she was defenseless. Temari looked up at her husband and snapped. "You know I'm fine, so don't treat me like a lost lonely puppy dog, Nara!"

He smirked. Retaliation was in her feisty nature, and by this stage in their relationship, he learned how to let it show up at all the wrong times. However, Shikamaru wiped sand from her forehead and from her cheeks. He gracefully gripped her neck gently as he shoved his lips on hers.

With every fiber of her body, Temari wanted to slap him with her brazen fingertips, but something was stopping her. Shikamaru was never one for words but rather for actions. He was secluded, but he was a leader. He was calming her down rather than letting her fall apart.  
Which resulted in her clinging to his Konoha jacket, bracing herself for the tears. She pulled away from her lover and felt his arms brace her abruptly. He knew what question was coming. "What if they figure out who they are?"  
Shikamaru worked out strategies for a living; that was his job. And in this battle, the scenarios were frightening at best. The likelihood of survival was slim, and the resources were limited. But he was not going to give up this mission. Not after the work they both put into it. He had seen many deaths before, and two more casualties were not going to happen.

Especially when those two deaths were his children's.

He sighed heavily as he held onto Temari tighter. "By the time they do, they'll see just how powerful shadows and wind can be."  
With that thought in the air between them, Shikamaru let go of his partner. Temari nodded as she let her fan slip onto her back, and she felt the urge to cry again. But no more tears were going to be shed.

The only thing going to be shed was blood.

**I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus**

**This is it, the apocalypse**

**Whoa**

There was nothing more to say. They knew where to find the enemy, and what the objective was. Temari watched as Shikamaru started sprinting down the ever-familiar path. She followed beside him as she kept her mind clear of distractions. As he passed a set of trees, he noticed his daughter's first attempt at weaponry bared on the bark. She was impressive, but coming from the queen of the fan, it was no surprise. All the memories began to flood back in waves, and that only caused him to put more effort into his steps. No one was going to kill her. He'll choke them to death if they did.

Temari was no stranger to Shikamaru's thought process. He was thinking of the worst possible outcome to push himself to prevent it. He'd done that since she first fought him, and it came in handy. Especially now. She couldn't imagine the worst scenario. Someone else could take that burden for her. Her son was still a small child at the ripe age of three. The reason she could keep up was because she needed them as much as they still needed her.

Everything was falling apart in front of them, but as they quickly arrived to the gates of Konoha, it was so clear that the apocalypse of their lives was imminent.

**I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones **

**Enough to make my systems blow**

**Welcome to the new age, to the new age**

**Welcome to the new age, to the new age**

**Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, I'm radioactive**

**Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, I'm radioactive**

The feelings of anticipation didn't fade as they approached Konoha. The flames in the center of the village could be seen miles away, and Temari's heart pounded violently against her chest. She gripped her fan as tightly as her fingers would allow. There was no going back because everything she cared about was in front of her in Konoha. She felt her legs get shaky as she went from limb to limb. As she glanced forward to see Shikamaru, she could not figure out how he stayed so calm. Even in the best case scenario, his home was still destroyed. There was still no positive outcome.

She felt a shiver go down her spine as she thought the worst thought she'd ever thought about her husband: what if Shikamaru saw this coming all along?  
The thought made her stop briefly, only to let two tears roll down her face. One for her daughter and one for her son. The stress was overwhelming, and it was enough to blow everything off course. Even her powerful wind was little help to her.

As Shikamaru turned around, he saw Temari in the worst state she'd ever been in. There was no telling what she was thinking in that pretty little head of hers. That's what attracted the genius to her in the first place; being with a complex puzzle of a woman was not always easy. In fact, it was rarely easy. "Troublesome, come on. There's no time to waste, and you know it."

His voice was collected as always. Ever since the start of their first war together, he was a natural born leader. He was able to say the right things to motivate people, but she didn't need motivation. She needed reassurance. It was the one thing he could not give her. Their children were not a normal causality.

Shikamaru hopped to the tree Temari was on to wipe the tears she didn't bother wiping away. He cupped her face with his hands and used his thumbs to swipe the tears onto his own skin. He kissed her forehead gently. She stood straight by then, and with her teal eyes open wide, she thanked Shikamaru.

Shikamaru just turned and started toward their destination once again. There was something different about Temari than when he first met her, and as severe as the situation was, he allowed himself to smirk. He broke down the thick inner walls she put up, and her motherly instincts tore them down further. She was still fierce and in some cases, cruel; however, she was no longer fighting solely for herself.

And with her offspring, came the beginning of a new age for Temari. Shikamaru couldn't be happier about that.

They moved quicker and stealthier the closer they got the gates. By now, Temari knew to keep to the shadows. The wind and the shadow complemented each other perfectly. In retrospect, it had ever since they met.

Strategy was their best chance. And with that in mind, they became an explosive duo.

**I raise my flag, don my clothes**

**It's a revolution, I suppose**

**We're painted red to fit right in**

**Whoa**

Having their children's lives dangled in front of them made Shikamaru and Temari even more precise in their movements. The gates were surrounded by guards. Shikamaru estimated around twenty and then probably ten more on the inside of the walls defending it.

With this knowledge, Shikamaru got to the edge of the tree line and spread his shadows underneath all of his opponents and was even able to reach five insiders. Temari released a gust of wind, slamming the outside defenses into the brick. Most of them either were knocked out or killed by the heavy impact.

But that was just the beginning of what was to ensue, and both of them didn't bother celebrating. Temari couldn't help but smile because war looked best on her, and she was not about to raise the white flag. She preferred a red one.

They raced inside the gates, putting aside any logic they had. Although their survival was key, they had someone else's survival running through their minds. The Nara residence was luckily close to the edge of the walls. A seven-year old girl and a three-year boy laid within their grasps again if only they tried hard enough.

Shikamaru pushed his body past his physical limits already, and his strength was passing from him now. He'd be lucky to get there with what little adrenaline he had left. He looked back at Temari as they sprinted forward to see her blowing people back by gusts of wind. Everyone had turned into her enemy. All except him. And if they died, he'd be her enemy too. "Temari."

Heaving, she yelled back at him in true Temari-fashion. "What now lazy?! Can't you see we don't have time to chit chat?!"

He stopped and turned to face her, causing a collision that hit him in the chest. "I know." He looked behind at every person chasing them and then back at his love. He was never good with words to her, but he showed his affection through actions. He kissed her forehead and walked towards the enemy. "Get our kids out of here."

She nodded as she felt her heart fall. Her eyes watered as she followed his order. "I love you, Nara."

She didn't dare look back because something told her that she'd rather have the lasting image of Shikamaru's loving embrace then him painted in a red that would fit in with the rest of the blooded town.

**I'm breaking in, shaping up, then checking out on the prison bus**

**This is it, the apocalypse**

**Whoa**

_I love you too, Temari._

That's what Shikamaru meant to say back, but then again, he was never very good with words. Even with his lingering thoughts of her, he turned his attention to the task at hand. He made hand signs for his shadows to cover the entire area around him. This may have been the apocalypse for his home, but it was not the apocalypse for his family. And with that motivation in his head, he captured as many ninja as he could in his grasp. He allowed the shadows to snap their necks easily. There was no more immediate threat to them. He smirked as he turned and used the rest of his energy to head to his family. He needed to see them alive. They were his sole priority now.

His father would be proud.

**I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones**

**Enough to make my systems blow**

**Welcome to the new age, to the new age**

**Welcome to the new age, to the new age**

**Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, I'm radioactive**

**Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, I'm radioactive**

Temari raced to the far house on the Nara property. So far she hadn't encountered any more Shinobi, which worried her into sprinting faster. She had her fan at the ready as she crossed the bridge separating her from her children.

As she climbed over the hill, she saw into the small valley which contained her one chance at happiness. The house was rather large, but in case of emergency, their children were supposed to hide away in the cellar underground that Shikamaru built in a precautionary manner.

Shikamaru.

She shook away his name from her mind. All that mattered was his offspring now. Well, their offspring. And that was what she focused on when she approached the area. Her daughter was smart enough to grab her brother. Temari had confidence in that fact, but she ripped open the cellar to make sure.  
"Mom!"  
As she glanced at her daughter and son, Temari felt like crying but hugged them instead almost oblivious to the others hiding there. At seven years old, her daughter had developed Temari's attitude. Somehow, Temari was grateful for that.  
"Mom. I invited as many people to hide away as I could. Daddy said to look out for others and my villages. So when there was fire, I told as many people as I could just like daddy would have wanted." She was glowing in accomplishment and it was stemming from the fact that she entered the academy this year. Temari's heart rose in pride at her little Shinobi.

Still, hearing daddy broke her heart too. And as her daughter smiled turned into wonderment, Temari looked away from her joy in this world. "Where's daddy?"

Her son waddled his way through the crowd of people to reach his mother's leg. She picked him up into her arms and onto her hips as she tried to figure out how to approach this topic with her daddy's girl. With Shikamaru's pain in the butt princess. With Shikamaru's pride and joy. With her own. "Baby, your dad fought for you valiantly….umm…to make sure you were okay, he…"

Her daughter kept smiling as she ran past her body back over the hill that separated them from disaster, and there was nothing Temari could do but hope her daughter didn't see the blood shed.

**All systems go, the sun hasn't died**

**Deep in my bones, straight from inside**

"Daddy!" Their daughter rushed to her father as his shadow crossed over the hill. There was no mistaking the shadow, and even in his tired state, he hugged his little angel and placed her on his shoulders. He was getting a second wind from the sight of her okay.

Temari held their son even as her legs gave in from shock, and her knees hit the ground. Shikamaru's smirk was enough to make her second guess her sanity. "Shikamaru. But you were…"

As Shikamaru got closer to her, he saw her expression and laughed. It took his "death" to shock Temari. He held his hand out to her as his toddler jumped onto his leg with a hug. "You know, that look doesn't quite fit you, Temari."

Temari refused his hand and stood from herself. She didn't need his help all of the time, but she gave him a loving smile. "You're right."  
While their audience of not only their children but those in which their children saved, Temari touched Shikamaru cheek before giving him a passionate kiss on the lips. It didn't last long, but it changed their relationship.

It was their first public display of affection. The sun hadn't disappeared from Temari's line of sight and she could feel the ache in her bones disappear.

**I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones**

**Enough to make my systems blow**

**Welcome to the new age, to the new age**

**Welcome to the new age, to the new age**

**Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, I'm radioactive **

**Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm radioactive, I'm radioactive**

From here, they needed to rebuild their homes, but they didn't need to rebuild themselves. They overcame a possible war by not only luck but by determination. Both Temari and Shikamaru knew they were not the only reason why their children survived. Other noble Shinobi kept their promise to their lands and fought hard to protect their homes.

That's why there was no war. There was no apocalypse.

There was simply the dawn of a new age. And the Naras were radioactive.


End file.
